Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 24 Jun 1992

Vol. 421 No. 5

Adjournment Debate. - Education Matters.

Mrs. T. Ahearn

I wish to sincerely point out to the Minister the need for a remedial teacher on a shared basis between Ballingarry, Slieveardagh, Lisnamrock and Mohobher National Schools, County Tipperary, the need for which cannot be over-exaggerated. So acute is the problem at present that teachers, parents, boards of managements and public representatives are adamant in their resolve to have these schools provided with this vital facility. Our concern about such need is justified by the results of a recent ability assessment of pupils in Ballingarry national school, showing that in excess of 40 per cent of them were discovered to have reading problems of various degrees. This calls, not for a review or investigation but for action. It would amount to serious negligence on the part of the Department were they to ignore such a serious problem being encountered in any rural school.

Over the past ten years repeated applications were submitted to the Department of Education, supported by public representatives, for a remedial teacher for those schools. The blind eye of the Department to these requests is now beginning to show its effects. The entire Slieveardagh area, where those schools are located, has an extreme level of unemployment — in some parts as high as 62 per cent — with attendant social consequences. Those schools deserve not only a remedial teacher but should also have disadvantaged status. I must point out to the Minister that the future of the pupils attending these schools is dependent on his response to my appeal this evening.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Mr. Aylward)

As I have indicated to the House on previous occasions remedial education at primary level is a matter in the first instance for the ordinary class teachers. The majority of pupils with remedial needs therefore would be helped within the scope of the normal service.

However, it is acknowledged that remedial teachers constitute the main additional resource for addressing the problem of under achievement in primary schools. It was with this in mind that 80 posts were allocated for remedieal purposes out of the quota of posts made available under the Programme for Social and Economic Progress for the school year 1991-92.

These appointments were made following the collection of data and information from schools by the Department's primary inspectorate. The posts were then allocated on the basis of priority of need, as indicated by the information collected.

The allocation of these 80 posts, which benefited some 242 schools, brings the total number of remedial teachers operating within the primary sector to 945. By way of comparison, 945 remedial teachers are now in place at a time when the total number of primary pupils is 530,000 approximately. This compares very favourably with the position in 1988, when 835 remedial teachers were in place at a time when the total number of primary pupils was 554,000.

Of the 3,235 ordinary national schools in the country, approximately 1,400 have the services of a remedial teacher, on a fulltime or shared basis.

The appointment of further remedial teachers will be kept under review. In that connection, I can assure the Deputy that the needs of the school referred to by her will be borne in mind.

I might point out to the Deputy that I will be meeting representatives of the area in the very near future to discuss this matter.

Mr. M. Kitt

The board of management of St. Augustine's national school, Clontuskert, Ballinasloe, County Galway, applied for a grant for the provision of oil-fired central heating in their school.

I might briefly outline for the Minister the history of this problem. In 1985, when the school was modernised, the heating had to be deferred because it would involve a new transformer which was very costly. At the time the Office of Public Works engineer recommended the installation of oil fired central heating. From that year, 1985, the board of management have been trying to raise money to meet the local contribution. They have been persistently contacting the Department and public representatives like myself. In 1989, when the heating was to be installed, it was found that sewerage works had to be carried out because of an emergency. In the following year, 1990, the environmental health officer from the Western Health Board recommended that the heating system be approved also. In 1991 two storage heaters broke down. The ESB engineer examined them and said that the two heaters were beyond repair and that the others were not functioning properly. The following year a five year old pupil received a hand burn from a faulty heater which overheated when the thermostat failed.

I hope now that the design and specifications are prepared and sent to tender the Minister will be able to give us the approval for the grant. I would like to point out that the present storage heating system is totally inadequate, with four heaters between three classrooms. It is envisaged that if there is a very cold spell the school will have to close down. Because the present system has to be augmented with convection heaters, it is costing 60 per cent of the total capitation grant every year. This is clearly intolerable, especially since the heating is still inadequate.

I hope the Minister of State will be able to give me the news that approval will be given by the Department. The board of management will be meeting with Department officials late today to discuss this matter and try to have it resolved once and for all.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Mr. Aylward)

I am glad Deputy Kitt has given me the opportunity of outlining the position in regard to the heating grant application by St. Augustine's national school, Clontuskert, County Galway. Let me say I have had several representations in the Department on this matter. In fact, the Deputy's colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Treacy, has been in touch with my office as well on several occasions.

There has, I agree, been a considerable delay in processing this application. A report has been received in the engineering and heating section of the Department from the local engineer, advising of the difficult heating situation at this school. Unfortunately, due to a staffing dispute in that section, a number of cases, including that of St. Augustine's NS, have been delayed. I understand that the dispute is near resolution. It is my firm intention that the backlog of cases which has built up should be cleared as a matter of urgency. I fully accept that the situation regarding heating at this school is inadequate in that the present storage heaters are no longer functioning effectively. It is therefore imperative that a new system be installed and the appropriate grant sanctioned at the earliest possible date. It is my commitment that schools should be provided with the necessary facilities, including suitable heating systems, in order to operate in an efficient manner. I wish to thank Deputy Kitt once more for raising this deserving case and I will keep him fully informed of developments.

Mr. Nealon

Sligo got £1 million from the Government for a swimming pool in 1988, or so Sligo thought. Not only that but there were details of how the money would be paid out — £300,000 in 1988, £400,000 in 1989 and the final £300,000 in 1990. It was all very official, in writing, from the Minister of State, Deputy Frank Fahey.

It is now the end of June 1992 and so far Sligo has not got as much money as would purchase one blue tile for its 25 metre pool. Instead, Sligo has been concerned and codded and fooled and frustrated by successive Ministers in the Department of Education. The Department have been involved in what can only be described as an exercise in "dragging out delays". In this respect it has been a classical exercise — real honours stuff if ever I saw it.

However, on the assumption that even this Department must at some time run out of excuses we all thought recently we were finally going to get our pool started. The first sod would be turned in June, we were told, and sure enough, the Department actually let it go to tender. They sanctioned all the details in the plans, even made adjustments costing more money. They knew from the professional advice that the cost would be in the area of £1.3 million. Still they said: "Go to tender". There was never a suggestion that money might be a problem, quite the contrary.

The accepted tender was by all accounts a good price, around £1.2 million. It was recommended all round. Then the Department produce their final master stroke — sorry Sligo, the cost is £1.2 million. You have only £1 million. You cannot go ahead.

There was nothing about the interest that should have accrued on the £1 million granted in 1988 — after all, this was Sligo's money — nothing about the additional construction costs now by contrast with 1988; nothing about the fact that the Department knew from professional advice before going to tender that the cost would be well over £1 million, and still they raised no warning signs. They actually added on costly adjustments themselves; and, of course, there was the promise from the Minister of State that there would be a June start even if it cost more than £1 million.

This is the last bitter twist for all those in Sligo who have worked so hard and waited so long for a swimming pool. One must ask whether the £1 million itself is there and available immediately. I appeal to the new Minister of State, in view of the awful manner in which Sligo has been treated, to announce here tonight that he is providing the extra money, that he is sanctioning an immediate start and thus bringing this sad saga to a close with some semblance of honour.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Mr. Aylward)

I thank Deputy Nealon for raising this matter and note the obvious conviction with which he has spoken on it.

A grant of £1 million has been allocated to Sligo Corporation under my Department's capital programme for the provision of major sports facilities at regional and local level. The project comprises the provision of a 25 metre swimming pool, gymnasium and other ancillary accommodation to be built as an extension to the existing multi-purpose indoor sports centre in Sligo.

A report and a recommendatoin on the tenders received for the project was received from Sligo Corporation and their consultants on 12 May 1992. My Department have also been in consultation with Sligo Corporation in relation to the proposed management arrangements for the extended sports complex and further information on this matter was recently received from Sligo Corporation.

I can assure the Deputy that I am taking all the necessary steps to ensure that the examination of these issues will be completed in the very near future and I expect to be in a position shortly to notify Sligo Corporation that the project proceed to contract so that construction work on the swimming pool can commence.

It is expected that completion of the project will take 12 months approximately.

Mr. McGinley

While the new emphasis on the aural aspect of language in State examinations is to be welcomed, the recent introduction of tapes in the Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations leaves much to be desired. Many of the examinations were held in gymnasia which are completely unsuitable from the acoustics point of view. Candidates are entitled to be able to hear a non-abberated sound in aural examinations. In addition, the conditions should be sensibly constant between centres and between individual candidates in the same centre. Parents have complained to me that pupils taking the Junior Certificate examination were unable to hear the tapes clearly, particularly in French and German.

It is surprising that the Department were not aware of the acoustical difficulties imposed by gymnasia and large halls. It is also surprising that no tests were carried out to establish if students were able to hear clearly prior to the examinations. A bad quality tape in an aural examination can only be compared to a smudged paper in a written examination and it imposes an unfair handicap on students subjected to such conditions.

There was considerable media comment on the lack of clarity of the Irish language tapes and the finger of suspicion was directed at dialect variations. Is it not more than likely that tape quality and acoustical conditions were to blame? For aural tests using amplifying systems the candidates should be broken into smaller groups and ordinary classsrooms used where the acoustics fall within acceptable levels. In my opinion the fairness of the examinations has been seriously compromised.

The Minister should have this matter investigated immediately and where conditions have been inadequate repeats should be arranged. Our pupils deserve nothing less.

Mr. Aylward

Again, I want to thank Deputy McGinley for raising this matter. Aural tests in modern European languages were introduced in the Intermediate Certificate in 1985. The same aurals are now part of the junior certificate. At this stage teachers can be expected to be familiar with them. The junior certificate has introduced a second level, the ordinary level to cater for pupils who would be overstretched by the full requirements of the Intermediate certificate aurals. The ordinary level aural test in junior certificate is therefore a less demanding version of the aural test which was carried forward from the intermediate certificate. The requirements of the ordinary level were illustrated in the sample tapes that were issued to the schools some time ago. Teachers therefore were able to become familiar with the differentiation between ordinary and higher levels at the in-service sessions.

The Dáil adjourned at 12.51 a.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 25 June 1992.