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| Minister Hanafin opens new state of the art Science laboratories at St. Joseph’s CBS Secondary School, Fairview | |
| Two state of the art science labs were opened by Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin today at St. Joseph’s CBS, Fairview. The labs were refurbished over the summer at a cost of €269,000. The 239 students now studying at the school will benefit from the new labs.
“The importance of science is being increasingly emphasised as a critical factor for the development of a creative and competitive knowledge based economy in Ireland,” said the Minister at today’s opening. “The syllabi of all three courses for Leaving Certificate have been revised, as has the Junior Certificate Science syllabus, and all place an increased emphasis on practical work and the interface between science technology and society. The excellent facilities now available in the school will support that emphasis and ensure that students develop a range of practical, observational and cognitive skills.” The Department of Education and Science is committed to investment in facilities for science. As part of the 2004 building programme some €16 million was invested in science equipment. Included in this initiative was the provision of science laboratories to schools that either had none or an insufficient number of labs to enable all schools offer the new curriculum. This initiative will continue in 2005 to include fee-paying school and other schools that did not take up the offer of funding in 2004. This investment has already reaped benefits with Irish 15 year olds ranking significantly above the OECD average in science -13th out of 29 OECD countries. The Minister congratulated the teachers of St. Joseph’s on their commitment to their pupils, saying “I would like to say a special word to the dedicated and hard-working staff in St. Joseph’s. In addition to your teaching work, I know that you provide a range of extra-curricular opportunities for the boys which speaks well of your commitment”. Science has always been an important element in the education provided in St. Joseph’s with the first laboratories in the school being built in 1900. “St. Joseph’s is committed to preparing young men to take their places as active citizens in the life of their community,” said the Minister. “The school has contributed to the social and political development of our country.” |
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Leaving Cert Class of 2004Leaving Cert Class of 2004
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