Participants view the finished wind turbine in action

From Wednesday the 27th to Sunday the 31st of January, the Rossport Solidarity Camp hosted a wind power workshop. Local people and campers united to learn metal work, wood work and electronics to produce a fully functional 2.4 meter diameter wind turbine, now supplying power to the off-grid Rossport Solidarity House. The use of farmer's shed for the week was kindly by donated which was the perfect base for the workshop. The course was led by V3 Power, a workers co-operative based in Nottingham specialising in teaching courses in how to build DIY wind turbines.

Related Links:
Shell to sea website | Hugh Pigotts website | More about Hugh's work (video) | Gluaiseacht website | more about V3

Not Building for the Irish Indpendent's
Future, anymore!

Irish primary schools celebrated a victory this week as Independent Newspapers abandoned their “Building for the Future” scheme just weeks after its high-profile launch.

It is the first time a major in-school marketing promotion has been scrapped and is an embarrassing climb down for Independent and their co-sponsors Bank of Ireland.

The launch of “Building for the Future”, which demanded a quota of 20 tokens per pupil from schools wishing to enter, was met with condemnation from across the teaching community.

Related Links:
50 Primary Principals speak out against Independent Newspapers’ “Building for the Future” promotion | Call for Students to Boycott A.I.B. School Bank | Schools Out! Stop the Commercialisation of Education | Against Supevalu's Kids in Action Voucher Scheme | Against Commercialism in Irish Education | INTO Calls for End to Commercial Exploitation of School Children

Education Articles on Indymedia.ie

Marching Against the Education Cuts

“I am totally depressed as I believe a huge amount of work has been totally undone … support structures to assist the most vulnerable have been undermined, which will mean that discipline and pastoral care structures will be affected”

•  Principal, boys' secondary school, Leinster

The Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) has published a report into the effects that the cuts to education, announced in Budget 2008 (and reaffirmed with the April Budget of this year), will have. Most of these cuts will not become noticeable until the new school year, when it may be too late to have them reversed.

Related Links:
* Click Here for education articles on Indymedia.ie
* Resist or Resign: On Tuesday a delegation from the Dublin City Post Primary Branch of the Teachers Union of Ireland protested at the ICTU HQ in Parnell Sq, Dublin. The delegation was led by Branch officers, supported by branch members and students from UCD.
* Event Notice: Dublin: Protest Against the Education Cuts
* Another Day, Another Protest against the education cuts

Canadian Students Protesting, Nov. 5th.

The loose network of struggling groups from around the world calling itself the International Students Movement has called for a Global Week of Action 2009 this coming April (20/04 - 29/04).

Last November, students from many countries across the world took part in the world's first coordinated action against the commercialisation of education and the (re)introduction of fees. The show of strength and solidarity was organised by the ISM, the International Students Movement (for free and emancipatory education), a loose collection of individuals and groups (not just students) with a common aim evident in the group's title.

November 5th saw actions take place in Ireland, Liberia, Greece, Germany, Croatia, Bangladesh, Canada, United States, Austria, Argentina, and many more. For a full report on the day, click here.

Related Links:
• International Students' Movement (for free and emancipatory education) - emancipating-education-for-all.org.
• Last year's call for the International Day of Action - indymedia.ie.
• Education articles on Indymedia.ie - indymedia.ie/education.
• Campaign for Commercial-Free Education, Ireland - commercialfreeeducation.com.
• Call for meeting of grassroots education workers, Ireland - indymedia.ie.

If you want to let the politicians know you don't want education spaces commercialised and/or fees reintroduced - contact them @ Contact.ie.

This is NOT a Joke

Statement about protest held in NUIG on 2nd Feb at FF TD Bertie Ahern's visit.

FEE Needs Your Help Read about it here
November 2008: UL Students Union Orchestrate Pantomime Blockade of Minister .. Demo broken up by Armed Gardai! Read about it here
December 2008: FEE activist 'manhandled' by minister at NUI Galway protest Read about it here
January 2009: Call for International Week of Action Against Commercialism in Education (including the (re)introduction of fees Read about it here
February 2009: Day of Action Against Student Fees, Dublin Read about it here.