OECD (2014) shows that the Irish education system is competing successfully internationally, though it should be borne in mind that raw statistical data cannot adequately measure the breadth of events and experiences that are an everyday part of a holistic education system. The success of the education system, for example in ensuring that 90% of students complete Senior Cycle (DES, 2012), comes in the context of significant cutbacks in the education system especially in pastoral supports such as middle management (e.g. year head) and guidance posts. Perhaps the most important measure of the success of the education system is that parents have expressed satisfaction with the way teachers do their jobs (Teaching Council, 2010; OECD, 2013; DES, 2013) and that students, especially girls, reported liking school (OECD, 2009). The previous paragraph made reference to cuts affecting pastoral systems in schools. The work of DCYA is closely associated with creating a child/youth-centred system for the modern age. Bullying is a serious difficulty experienced by many young people (Gleeson, 2014; Barnardos, 2008; Lodge and Lynch, 2004; Downes and Gilligan, 2007). Cyberbullying has become the latest manifestation of bullying but is perhaps even more insidious as the victim can never really off’ due to the pervasiveness of technology in the life of a ‘switch young person. Young people must be protected to the greatest extent possible and hence it is essential that DCYA encourages all Government departments and agencies to support schools and youth groups through provision of expertise and resources to limit the spread of cyberbullying in schools/youth spaces. Furthermore, parents must be supported in taking on their responsibilities in regard to preventing cyberbullying in the time young people spend outside of schools. Young people spend only a small proportion of their childhoods in school settings so the main focus in terms of preventing cyberbullying must logically and necessarily be on out-of-school settings. No child-centred model can be achieved to any appreciable extent without dealing with the relative poverty in which many children and their families live. Almost 20% of children are at risk of poverty and almost 10% live in consistent poverty (NERI, 2013). How we treat children is a key measure of how we as a society can be measured. It is perverse and
OECD (2014) shows that the Irish education system is competing successfully internationally, though it should be borne in mind that raw statistical data cannot adequately measure the breadth of events and experiences that are an everyday part of a holistic education system. The success of the education system, for example in ensuring that 90% of students complete Senior Cycle (DES, 2012), comes in the context of significant cutbacks in the education system especially in pastoral supports such as middle management (e.g. year head) and guidance posts. Perhaps the most important measure of the success of the education system is that parents have expressed satisfaction with the way teachers do their jobs (Teaching Council, 2010; OECD, 2013; DES, 2013) and that students, especially girls, reported liking school (OECD, 2009). The previous paragraph made reference to cuts affecting pastoral systems in schools. The work of DCYA is closely associated with creating a child/youth-centred system for the modern age. Bullying is a serious difficulty experienced by many young people (Gleeson, 2014; Barnardos, 2008; Lodge and Lynch, 2004; Downes and Gilligan, 2007). Cyberbullying has become the latest manifestation of bullying but is perhaps even more insidious as the victim can never really ‘switch off’ due to the pervasiveness of technology in the life of a young person. Young people must be protected to the greatest extent possible and hence it is essential that DCYA encourages all Government departments and agencies to support schools and youth groups through provision of expertise and resources to limit the spread of cyberbullying in schools/youth spaces. Furthermore, parents must be supported in taking on their responsibilities in regard to preventing cyberbullying in the time young people spend outside of schools. Young people spend only a small proportion of their childhoods in school settings so the main focus in terms of preventing cyberbullying must logically and necessarily be on out-of-school settings. No child-centred model can be achieved to any appreciable extent without dealing with the relative poverty in which many children and their families live. Almost 20% of children are at risk of poverty and almost 10% live in consistent poverty (NERI, 2013). How we treat children is a key measure of how we as a society can be measured. It is perverse and