Education

November 2020

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Northern Ireland university students fined over £13,000 for breaching Covid lockdown

Hundreds of Northern Ireland students have been suspended and hit with fines totalling over £13,000 for breaking lockdown restrictions.

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Education Minister Weir wrong to rule out extended school break, says union

A leading teachers' union has branded comments from the Education Minister as "irresponsible" after he said there was no possibility of an extended Christmas break for schools.

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Vital campaign: school children hope to sock it to the bullies

Schools and youth organisations across Northern Ireland joined together for their first ever Odd Socks Day yesterday as part of Anti-Bullying Week.

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Ellen Fearon Opinion Students have been let down every step of the way... and we won't forget it

As the president of Northern Ireland's national student movement, I have been representing students in one of the most transformational times in history.

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Lonely, overwhelmed and angry: NI students tell of their plight at universities

Covid-19 restrictions have made life both challenging and unpredictable for third-level students.

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Craigavon Senior High School forced to close doors after 48 pupils test positive for Covid-19

Around 50 pupils are reported to have tested positive for Covid-19 at Craigavon Senior High School, and as a result the school is to close this week, the Belfast Telegraph has learned.

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Education Minister Peter Weir urged to act over high truancy rate

The Education Minister has been urged to address the problem of absenteeism from schools after figures revealed thousands of pupils are referred to the Education Welfare Service each year.

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QUB paying 10 members of staff more than £150k

Ten staff members at Queen's University Belfast earn more than £150,000 annually, a new report has revealed.

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Education Minister Weir 'disappointed' over exams decision in Wales - vows 2021 NI tests will go ahead

The Education Minister said he has been left disappointed that Wales has “acted unilaterally to move away from the three-country arrangement for GCSEs, AS and A-levels”.

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Axe exams to protect students, Education Minister Weir told

The children's watchdog has called for A-levels and GCSEs to be axed over fears for students' mental health.

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Wrap up in ventilated classes, Education Minister Weir suggests

Pupils could be allowed to wear coats in class due to the extra ventilation required during the coronavirus pandemic, the Education Minister has suggested.

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Belfast pupil's delight at helping to illustrate JK Rowling book

A Belfast student says she's overjoyed after being picked to help illustrate JK Rowling's new fairytale, The Ickabog.

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Homeschooling meant he had to tell his kids... NI dad who couldn't read or write faced up to deepest fear during lockdown

A Northern Ireland dad who cannot read or write has faced “deepest fear” in lockdown, revealing his secret of 16 years to his kids.

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Coronavirus vaccine no silver bullet, warns QUB virologist

As the Executive prepares to debate the effectiveness of Northern Ireland's Covid restrictions on Thursday, a leading virologist has warned that even a vaccine will not be the instant "silver bullet" that many were hoping for and that changes to our lives will be in place for some time.

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School evacuated on the first day back after 'elaborate' bomb hoax

Security alerts in Londonderry and Belfast closed a school and a medical centre yesterday.

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Schools versus pubs: Education Minister Peter Weir at odds with medical chief

Education Minister Peter Weir has said it is not a "battle" between keeping schools open and the hospitality industry closed in a bid to slow the spread of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.

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Education Minister Peter Weir rules out cancelling GCSE and A-Level exams in Northern Ireland

Education Minister Peter Weir has ruled out cancelling GCSE and A-Level exams this school year despite disruption to students' education during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Northern Ireland students saved £1bn thanks to tuition fees campaign

Northern Ireland students saved an estimated £1bn in tuition fees over a seven-year period after a successful campaign to keep them much lower than England, according to a new report.

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October 2020

Viewpoint Opinion Reopening of schools is welcomed

Irrespective of the arguments for or against the reopening of Northern Ireland's schools, it does at least symbolize the re-introduction of a sense of normality to society here.

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Schools' Covid controls fall well short, say unions ahead of restart in Northern Ireland

With schools set to return on Monday after a two-week break, unions and principals have raised concerns over social distancing and staffing numbers.

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Coronavirus: Pupils must return at end of half-term, insist school chiefs

School chiefs have insisted that children should return to the classroom at the end of the half-term break.

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Co Armagh classroom assistant's Covid book for children wins praise from PM

A classroom assistant from Co Armagh has brought Covid-19 to book - literally.

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Northern Ireland Transfer Tests 2021: Answers for Transfer Test practice papers

Find out how your child performed in our practice papers by downloading our answer sheets.

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Northern Ireland Transfer Tests 2021: Get your AQE and GL style practice papers

The Belfast Telegraph has partnered with TransferTests.co.uk to offer our readers and subscribers access to six full AQE style and GL style practice papers

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Special free school meal payments to be extended

Families whose children receive free school meals are to receive a special payment to help them over the two-week school closure period, First Minister Arlene Foster announced yesterday.

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Northern Ireland Transfer Tests 2021: Top tips to help you prepare

Each day from Monday October 26 to Saturday October 31 we will be publishing a full AQE style practice paper and a full GL style practice paper in the Belfast Telegraph and on the website and app, helping you and your child to prepare for the rescheduled Transfer Test examinations in January 2021.

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DUP's Givan slammed for comparing school closures to child abuse

A DUP MLA has been criticised for branding longer school closures advocated by some Stormont ministers as being tantamount to "child abuse".

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Northern Ireland parents and teachers' transfer test fears revealed

More than two thirds of parents and teachers say they are extremely concerned about children taking the post-primary transfer test following the Covid-19 lockdown, according to a new survey.

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Flu vaccination plans for children in chaos after school closures in Northern Ireland

Plans to provide flu vaccinations to almost 25,000 primary school and first year pupils next week have been thrown into chaos by the sudden school closures.

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School's out for Patricia Murtagh, pioneer of Northern Ireland integrated education

A school principal who started at Northern Ireland's first integrated primary school in 1985 has spoken about risking everything with a handful of brave parents to give children a better future during the darkest days of the Troubles.