Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 26 Nov 1998

Vol. 497 No. 4

Written Answers - Departmental Policy.

Richard Bruton

Question:

184 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the evaluations of policy instruments which his Department has under way; the body steering the evaluation; and the expected publication date of the findings. [25284/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

Two interim reports on Breaking the Cycle, urban and rural, have been forwarded to my Department by the Educational Research Centre. These reports identify baseline data against which future developments and attainments in the project will be evaluated. The final evaluation is being carried out by the Educational Research Centre and a report on the five year project will be submitted to the Department at the end of 2001. Further testing in reading and mathematics will be carried out in 2003 and a survey of the social, economic and education activity of 16 year olds who have attended the Breaking the Cycle schools will be undertaken in 2008.

A number of evaluators have been invited to tender for the contract to evaluate the projects strand of the eight to 15 early school leavers initiative. The successful person or organisation will submit the final report on developments in the project areas at the latter end of 2000. An evaluation of the leaving certificate applied by my Department's inspectorate is planned for 1999.

My Department has commissioned an evaluation of the relationships and sexuality education programme by Dr. Mark Morgan of St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra, which is expected to be available in mid-1999.

A number of expenditure reviews are being conducted under the aegis of my Department arising from the provisions of Delivering Better Government.

Evaluations are also being, conducted by the ESF evaluation unit and-or the industry evaluation unit of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in relation to programmes within the education sector which are funded by the European Social Fund.