Written Answers. - Educational Projects.
Pádraic McCormack
Question:
150
Mr. McCormack
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
the pilot schemes and projects currently under way in his Department; the purpose and terms of reference for each; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[21415/00]
The pilot projects in operation under the auspices of my Department are as follows. The modern languages pilot project has been running in 5th and 6th classes in selected primary schools since September 1998. Initially it was scheduled as a two year project but is continuing in this school year. Approximately 280 primary schools are involved in the project. The languages being taught are French, German, Spanish and Italian. Project leaders provide a support service and in-career development to teachers and schools involved in the project. In addition, the NCCA has drawn up curriculum guidelines and is currently working on teacher guidelines. Institiúd Teangeolaíochta Éireann (ITE) is carrying out an independent evaluation of the project and it is expected that an initial report will be available this year. This report will provide valuable information, which will be used in determining the future direction of modern languages in primary schools.
An initiative to aid the teaching of Spanish, Italian and Japanese at post-primary level was launched in the current academic year. Its purpose is to encourage more students to study these languages in the context of enabling more effective communication with people of other nations and the equipping of young Irish people to compete successfully in the widest possible range of job markets. The initiative is intended to complement the modern languages primary project.
The support teacher project, which was formerly known as the teacher-counsellor project, was introduced in 1995. The project is being monitored by my Department on an ongoing basis and an evaluation report on the operation of the project was carried out by my Department's inspectorate in 1998. The report recommends revision of the project specification; a re-focusing of the work of the project and the appointment of a project co-ordinator. The revised specification is being implemented; the support teachers are participating in an in-career development programme and a project co-ordinator was appointed in January 2000 to work with support teachers and school staffs.
The Breaking the Cycle pilot project was introduced in autumn 1996 for a planned five-year period and will continue in the participating schools until the end of the current school year. My Department is closely monitoring the operation of the scheme and it is being evaluated by the Educational Research Centre. The future of the scheme as a model for addressing educational disadvantage in urban and rural settings will be considered in the light of the findings in the final evaluation report which is due at the end of 2001.
The Early Start pre-school project has been evaluated. This evaluation and the Government White Paper on Early Childhood Education will be taken into account when considering the future direction of the project.
One of the key objectives of the eight to 15 year old early school leaver initiative, which was introduced in September 1998, is to test models of an integrated services response to the problem of early school leaving, with a view to identifying effective approaches to the problem, which could be replicated across the education system. This initiative was originally introduced for the school years 1998-99 and 1999-2000 and involves 17 specific projects in 14 project areas. I have decided to continue support for the existing 17 projects for the period 1 July 2000 until 31 August 2002. This initiative is being evaluated by the children's research centre, Trinity College, and the final evaluation report is expected in November 2000.
My Department supports the refugee language support unit, RSLU, based in Trinity College, Dublin. This unit was established in March 1999 and continues for a two-year pilot phase after which its operation will be reviewed. The unit delivers, co-ordinates, and monitors the provision of English tuition for adult refugees, is establishing benchmarks for English language proficiency of both refugee adults and children and is preparing resource materials for the teaching of English to non-national children and adults. The unit also provides training for teachers providing language tuition to refugees.
The discovering women in history project was commissioned by the equality committee of my Department. A group of history teachers is preparing a module on women in history and guidelines on primary research in history, for transition year and senior cycle students. A CD-ROM is being prepared and a website is being developed as part of the project. The materials which will be contained in the CD-ROM are being piloted in ten schools. It is proposed to launch the project in March 2001.
The first of a proposed series of pilot courses – women into educational management – will take place in November 2000. The aims of the pilot courses are to explore the current context for women in educational management; to demystify, redefine and develop management and leadership skills and strategies, and to articulate and sustain a personal vision of leadership in education. The courses are targeted at women teachers who are interested and-or involved in administration in their schools and have been teaching for at least ten years. This initiative is part of an EU international project on women in educational management, IPWEM, which is funded under the SOCRATES programme.
My Department is currently funding the CABAS, applied behaviour analysis project on a five year pilot basis. This project is delivering an applied behaviour analysis, ABA, model of response to 12 children with autism. This project will be evaluated at the end of the pilot period to establish the effectiveness of the ABA approach in addressing the educational needs of children with autism.
A pilot project has been established to examine the feasibility of providing an increased range of vocational subject groupings, VSGs, within the leaving certificate vocational programme, LCVP. In March 2000, schools, which were already offering the LCVP, were invited to apply to participate in the pilot project during the school years 2000-01 and 2001-02. Applicant schools were required to develop and submit suitable programme plans, to provide a sound rationale for the selection of the new VSGs and to demonstrate a high level of commitment to curriculum development. Twenty nine schools were selected and took part in an induction day in May 2000. The LCVP support service will monitor the schools during the project and produce a final evaluation.
A two year pilot project is under way in 132 second level schools as part of the school development planning initiative. The pilot project commenced in 1998. Its purpose is to develop and finalise guidelines for school development planning in second level schools.
A pilot adult guidance service is currently being developed by a representative working group that was established by the National Centre for Guidance in Education. Some projects have already been selected and commenced in January of this year. The service is being piloted in urban and rural settings and covers a selection of programmes in the adult literacy, VTOS and adult and community education fields. It is intended that there will be expansion to further areas in 2001 and subsequent years.
The school guidance review pilot project was launched in September 1999 to test a methodology and materials for reviewing schools' guidance programmes in post-primary schools. The methodology and materials were developed by an advisory group convened by the National Centre for Guidance in Education. The project was evaluated at the end of May 2000. The group is to make recommendations for mainstreaming to the Department shortly. This project compliments my Department's school development planning initiative.
An employee assistance scheme for teachers was established on a pilot basis in 1998. A review of the scheme has been carried out and, following consultation with the relevant parties, it has been decided to extend the scheme on an interim basis for a further two years.
Since autumn 1996, the Department has operated a voluntary scheme for the early retirement of teachers. Since 1997, the first full year of operation of the scheme, the scheme has operated on an annual basis. About 160 teachers per year have retired under the scheme since 1997. The scheme is a pilot scheme and is subject to review in the light of the Report of the Commission on Public Service Pensions. It is expected that the commission will report later this year.
A pilot project is under way to determine the most effective type of dust extraction equipment for materials technology rooms. Consultants were engaged to advise on the relative merits of either central or integral dust extraction systems. The final report has just been received and is currently under consideration.
A pilot project is being undertaken with a view to the development of a template for the design of standalone PE halls. This template will be tested in four schools initially. The project has just commenced.
My Department is participating in the Government's pilot programme of public-private partnership, PPP, projects. The programme aims to test life cycle value for money from a PPP approach to procuring infrastructure. Five new post-primary schools – Clones, Tubbercurry, Ballincollig, Shannon and Dunmanway – together with the Cork School of Music and the proposed national maritime college are included in the programme.
Term time working was introduced on a pilot basis for staff of this Department during last summer. My Department will be carrying out an evaluation of the operation of the pilot scheme in consultation with staff interests. A total of 19 members of staff availed of the provisions of the scheme this year.
