Vol. 638 No. 3
101 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science her views on the emergence in effect of segregated primary school provision for minority ethnic students in north Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21841/07]
I welcome Deputies Brian Hayes and Quinn as spokespersons for their respective parties and thank them for facilitating the change to today's business.
In recent years unprecedented levels of investment have been provided both to improve existing school facilities and provide extra school places where needed. Improved forward planning has also been put in place through greater co-operation between the Department of Education and Science and local authorities and the publication of ten-year area development plans by the Department. This combination of investment and planning has allowed extensions to be built to schools all over Ireland, while many new schools have also been built in order to meet the needs of developing areas. Construction work this year alone will deliver over 700 classrooms to provide permanent accommodation for over 17,500 pupils, mainly in developing areas.
With regard to the specific issue of school places in Balbriggan, as raised by Deputy Hayes, the situation is as follows. Conscious of the fact that Balbriggan is a developing area, the Department has facilitated a significant expansion in the number of school places in the area in recent years. Established schools have been given extra teachers and accommodation, while new schools also opened in 2005 and 2006. Educate Together had also indicated its intention to open a new school in Balbriggan in 2008. At the same time the Department has been working with Fingal County Council to acquire land for new school buildings.
Given the population expansion that has been taking place in Balbriggan, departmental officials kept the enrolments situation under review over the summer in consultation with the existing schools. As soon as it became clear applications for the schools had grown to such an extent that a new school would be needed this year, my Department acted swiftly to secure accommodation for up to 120 children in a new school in Sunshine House. Educate Together agreed to be the patron of the school. I express my thanks to it for working with us to open the school within such a tight timeframe. I also convey my thanks to the principal of the school, whom I know had a difficult first few weeks with all the media focus on the school. I know she is deeply committed to ensuring her pupils receive a top quality education.
It was never and is not the Department's intention to establish schools solely for children of a particular ethnic background. However, in a situation where these children needed places, the new school was the only option.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House.
The current ethnic make-up of Bracken Educate Together national school is reflective of the nature of the families that had moved to the area recently. It is not the result of any unwillingness on the part of the existing schools to accept children of any particular ethnicity or religion. In fact, some of the existing schools have quite large numbers of newcomer children enrolled. I know many people in Balbriggan were very upset by the implications in some sectors of the media that there was any form of racism at play in this regard.
The Department intends to work with all schools in the area to help achieve a better spread of children of all nationalities across the different schools in future years. Common enrolment policies may be one way of achieving this. I accept that providing sufficient pupil places in all rapidly developing areas, including those with large immigrant communities, is absolutely vital to ensuring enrolment policies do not lead to immigrants being unable to secure places. Under the national development plan, €4.5 billion is being invested to improve existing school buildings and provide extra accommodation for an expected growth of 100,000 in the school-going population in the coming years. Together with the improvements in planning already put in place and those provided for in the new programme for Government, this will enable my Department to meet the needs of developing areas into the future.
I thank the Minister for her good wishes to me as the new Fine Gael spokesperson on education.
Is the Minister seriously suggesting to the House that she takes no responsibility for what has become, in effect, a segregated model of education in north County Dublin due to the failure of her Department over a long period to put in place additional educational facilities? Does she agree that her Department is not fit for purpose in terms of the provision of additional educational facilities in growing new suburbs? Will she confirm that in 1999, when one of the schools concerned, St. Mologa's national school Balbriggan, applied for a major extension of its facilities the Department lost the application and then refused to approve it, despite the fact that children from a variety of ethnic backgrounds were available to fill the places the works would have delivered?
Up to 15,000 more children are attending school than was the case at this time last year. A great deal of work was done to accommodate each of these additional children and only 50 children were left without a place. While phenomenal progress was made in ensuring places were made available, it can be difficult to achieve complete accuracy in this regard owing to the movement of people into and within the country. It was a major achievement to have been within 50 places of the required number.
The provision of places for junior infants in schools in Balbriggan has doubled since 2002. While it is not desirable that a school would only have children from an ethnic background, the position is reflective of the area and the new communities which have been established in Balbriggan. A similar situation arose in areas to which Irish people emigrated because people gravitate to areas where members of their own communities live. Anyone living in Balbriggan would agree that, based on the people moving into the town's estates, the school in question, which is more mixed than we initially thought, is a reflection of the new town. The provision of school places and ensuring integration continue to be the Department's priorities.
Arising from events in Balbriggan in September, I ask the Minister to consider establishing a national forum on education to address the patronage, management and ownership of schools. Given that more than 90% of all schools are owned or controlled by the Catholic Church, does the Minister agree it would be more sensible to establish such a forum to allow the education partners to engage in a public discussion of all the relevant issues? I understand the Minister is involved in bilateral discussions with the education partners concerning a new model she wants to establish. Will she consider establishing a national forum along the lines I suggest as a means of having a public debate of the crucial question of ownership and control of our schools?
I welcome the statement made by the Catholic bishops today regarding the church's ambition to divest itself of some schools in areas in which it controls a large number of schools. Nevertheless, we need a much more thorough and public discussion of the issues, as opposed to a secretive, bilateral discussion between the Department, on the one hand, and the various education partners, on the other.
There is nothing secretive about the manner in which the Department works. I will give two practical examples. First, the production of our area development plans is a public process in which consultation with every interested partner and members of the public is invited. A number of such plans, which determine what schools are needed and where they are needed, have been published. This is a public consultation process which takes place at local level and encourages real and active citizenship. Second, all the new schools being approved are the subject of a public consultation process. They are properly advertised in local areas and there is public involvement. As Deputy Hayes stated, not only are we engaged in bilateral work with school patrons in which we continuously monitor changing circumstances, we also work closely with local authorities, which have public debates by virtue of being full of public representatives.
102 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Education and Science when she established the developing areas unit which will liaise with local authorities, identify where new schools are needed and ensure that they are delivered in the fastest possible timeframe; the section and name of the person responsible; the number of staff and grades presently working in the developing areas unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21574/07]
As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has been prioritising developing areas for investment under the school building and modernisation programme. During the period of the previous National Development Plan 2000-2006, record levels of investment and the streamlining of delivery systems allowed a major acceleration of the schools building programme. More than €2.6 billion was invested in upgrading existing school infrastructure and providing new school accommodation at both first and second level. This was the largest investment programme in the history of the State and delivered more than 7,800 building projects involving tens of thousands of extra permanent school places.
Innovations in the delivery of school buildings, such as generic repeat designs and the use of the design and build model, have been introduced to ensure new school buildings are delivered in the fastest time possible. Greater authority has been devolved to local school management boards to manage and deliver smaller building projects, thereby freeing my Department to concentrate on the large-scale projects. We have improved forward planning through greater co-operation with local authorities and the publication of ten-year area development plans. All of these developments have facilitated the provision of extra school places in extensions and new schools in developing areas all over the country.
This is the first year of the roll-out of the NDP, which will involve an investment of more than €4.5 billion in school buildings, enabling us to take a pro-active approach to the provision of modern school accommodation, particularly in developing areas. We are planning for an expected 100,000 additional school places in the plan's lifetime. This year, approximately €540 million will be spent on school building infrastructure, with more than 1,500 projects on the school building programme. Construction this year will deliver 700 classrooms.
The commitment to a developing areas unit in the programme for Government reflects a desire to build on the improvements made in school planning in recent years and to ensure an even sharper focus on developing areas. The unit will liaise with local authorities, identify where new schools are needed and ensure their delivery as quickly as possible. Although we are only a few months into the lifetime of the current Government, the administrative and technical staffing requirements for the unit, including issues of grading and reporting structures, are under consideration with a view to advancing the commitment's implementation.
I thank the Minister for her good wishes. In future, can the House have a reply to the question asked? The lecture was most interesting, but the Minister has not answered a single point of my question.
The question was put in the past tense, namely, when I established the unit.
Yes.
The answer I set out was that we are in the process of establishing the unit.
The Minister has not established it yet.
It is in the programme for Government.
It has been three months.
If I may remind the Deputy of my comments, the administrative and technical staffing arrangements and the grading and reporting structures are under consideration. This does not mean we are not planning.
The Government has had the past ten years.
For many years, the Department has had a full planning and building unit with many staff. It has worked constantly with local authorities to devise area development plans.
The Minister has been in her role for three years. The programme for Government makes a specific commitment, but the Minister has been in office in the current Government for more than three months. She is trying to claim that she was aware of the problem and that she has done much work, but is it any wonder there is a problem in Balbriggan if she cannot answer a question about the specific commitment to a unit with a principal officer or some other staffing?
I am sure there was a question in there.
I doubt it. Due to the co-operation of people who are willing to provide extra spaces and schools, there is no problem in Balbriggan.
Segregated education.
The people of Balbriggan are upset by allegations of racism against them when that was not the case. The Department of Education and Science has a strong development and planning unit and close links with the local councils, which are obliged to notify and consult with the Department on zonings and developments. During the coming weeks, we will be tightening up on the individuals involved in the issue.
103 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the steps she is taking to ensure that all children, especially those from non-Catholic backgrounds, will have access to a primary school place in September 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21521/07]
In recent years, unprecedented levels of investment to provide existing school facilities and extra school places where needed and forward planning has ensured greater co-operation. This combination of investment and planning has allowed school extensions to be built across the country and many new schools to be built to meet the needs of developing areas.
I beg the Deputy's pardon. I have confused the questions.
It is not often the Minister is stuck for words.
I do not wish to repeat myself.
It is the unit.
It is the single transferable reply.
Can the Minister not answer the question without her Department?
I can, but I did not want to mislead the House. I apologise for the replication in my notes.
The question refers to ensuring that all children have access to primary school places in September. I have outlined the issues concerning school planning, area development plans, the NDP, the provision of money and ensuring diversity in education.
The procedure to establish new schools involves notification by prospective patrons to the schools commission. Deputy Naughten will be interested to note that in recent years the majority of new schools established have been multidenominational. Some two thirds of schools established have been Educate Together or multidenominational. In the current school year — the question refers to 2008 — there are 38 notified applications to establish new schools. Of these, 21 are for multidenominational, English-medium schools, one is an interdenominational Catholic-Protestant gaelscoil and one is an interdenominational Church of Ireland-Anglican English-medium school. These applications demonstrate a move not only to provide places but to ensure that the needs of non-Catholic students are accommodated.
Is it not the case that the public perception is that the Catholic Church is causing the problem by denying access and that the Department is facilitating the emergence of such a perception? Is it not the case that the policy of Catholic-run schools nationally is to give priority to children within catchment areas established on a parish basis? Is it not the case, therefore, that the real issue is capacity? There has been a severe lack of planning by the Department to provide places on an annual basis. It is not just a Dublin issue, but a national one.
Hear, hear.
What alternative structures does the Minister intend to put in place to address the seeming obstacle of patronage? What specific steps are being taken within the Department to reform its archaic systems which belong to a different century and continue to delay the planning and delivery of projects?
It is not fair to accuse the Catholic Church of excluding children.
That is the point I am making.
Deputy Naughten is not making the point the Minister says he is.
I understood that is what the Deputy said because in fairness to schools I have visited all over the country, one sees in them children of various ethnic and religious backgrounds. They are all being welcomed into the schools.
That has been going on for years. It is not just now.
I know. Then there is no dispute about that. What has been emerging in recent years is demand for greater diversity. The priority must continue to be the provision of places with the provision of diversity as the second priority. Increasingly, newer schools, which are largely being provided in developing areas, are multidenominational. To accommodate the needs of the new Ireland and new communities, we have decided, with Government agreement, to put forward a new patronage model that will be implemented in September 2008. The new model will involve multi-faith schools in which all religions will be taught as well as welcomed and facilitated.
We will open one school under the new model, after which we will be able to consider ways to expand this type of provision. The new model will not represent a substitute or replacement for existing schools, but it will accommodate the new Ireland.
When will we see the new model we have been promised for 12 months? When will we see specific and detailed proposals in respect of it? We have heard Government promises on reports and action year on year. We need that action now. The Minister made the point that her first priority is places and her second diversity. She stated earlier that provision in Balbriggan, which in reality is segregated, reflects the new Balbriggan. It is not acceptable. The lack of places and planning has led to the lack of diversity in our schools today. What action will be taken to make provision in 2008 rather than promises on implementation further along the road?
The issue of diversity is being addressed. For example, among the schools that have indicated an intention to open next year, applications have been made for five new Islamic schools. That is certainly more diverse than the current situation. The new patronage model was not announced 12 months ago; it was announced in February of this year. At the time, I announced the school would open under the new patronage model and that remains the plan. We are holding detailed discussions with County Dublin VEC, which is facilitating the matter. Given that it is new, issues naturally arise pertaining to employment and redeployment and we want to ensure the school is run in the same way as all other national schools. However, it will open in September 2008.
We will move on to Question No. 104.
Is the land in place?
It is a patronage model.
Is the site available?
I have called Question No. 104, in the name of Deputy Brian Hayes.
104 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools that have been allocated funding for the purpose of debt relief in each year over the past five years; the accumulated amount in each year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21842/07]
Funding to schools to cover their day-to-day running costs has increased substantially in recent years. Indeed, this year schools benefited from the largest ever increase in capitation grant. With increases in capitation and ancillary services funding, primary schools are now getting €95 more per pupil per year than they were in 2002. The capitation grant has been increased to €163.58 per child and the ancillary services grant has risen to €145.50 per child, bringing the total value of both grants to nearly €310 per pupil. This amounts to €93,000 per year for a 300-pupil school.
At second level, the capitation grant has increased by €50 per student since 2002, from €266 to €316. The school support services grant which we introduced in 2000 has been increased significantly to €189 per student for voluntary secondary schools with effect from January 2007. Voluntary secondary schools are now getting €505 per student in capitation and support services grants. This amounts to €293,000 per year for a 500-student voluntary school.
Schools have therefore benefited from major increases in funding in recent years. A small number of schools have, however, sought assistance from my Department as an exceptional matter to deal with serious financial difficulties. Between 2002 and 2006, my Department provided additional financial assistance for this purpose for a total of 97 schools, mainly serving disadvantaged areas. In 2002, 26 schools received approximately €341,000; in 2003, 25 schools were allocated a total of €519,000; in 2004, €108,000 was given to ten schools; in 2005, 32 schools shared a total of €784,000; and last year, just over €112,000 was paid to four schools.
It should be noted that the responsibility for sound financial management of schools' affairs rests with school authorities. These were exceptional payments, the majority of which involved schools serving disadvantaged areas. The Deputy will be aware that as well as general increases in capitation funding, extra financial supports are being provided for schools under the DEIS action plan for educational inclusion. In the last school year, DEIS related grants totalling more than €17 million were paid to schools to meet the needs of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House.
This represented a substantial increase on the 2005-06 level of almost €12 million.
The Government will continue to prioritise the needs of schools serving disadvantaged communities. The emphasis on tackling educational disadvantage in recent years is absolutely unprecedented. In 2007, we are investing nearly €730 million in measures aimed at tackling disadvantage at all levels. This represents an increase of nearly €95 million on the 2006 figure and an almost 60% increase on the €460 million provided in 2003.
As well as continuing to prioritise disadvantaged schools, we are also determined to ensure that both primary and post-primary schools benefit from increased funding over the next five years. The programme for Government contains a specific commitment to double the standard capitation grant for primary schools. Grants to schools for the employment of secretaries and caretakers will also be increased significantly.
In summary, therefore, we have substantially increased funding for schools and will prioritise further improvements in the years ahead.
Is the admission by the Minister that a considerable number of schools have had to go to her Department, cap in hand, to be bailed out because of ongoing debt problems not evidence that the capitation regime is insufficient, particularly with regard to primary schools? Is she aware of a survey carried out by the Irish National Teachers Organisation which shows that as many as one third of schools have to regularly organise fundraising through parents? Does she consider it acceptable that a school has to seek voluntary subscriptions from parents for the privilege of heat and light?
As I noted, the capitation grant has increased substantially over several years. It is our hope under the programme for Government to double the rate for primary schools and substantially increase ancillary services and supports grants in recognition of the increased costs faced by schools and the way in which capitation funds are used. Of the individual schools which received support, one had a shortfall in the funding it received for heating and roof expenses. Last year, the same school received €28,000 through the summer works scheme and it received more than €1 million this year as part of other building programmes. It can occasionally happen that an individual school experiences a shortfall. In recognition of the fact that disadvantaged schools cannot come up with the same funds as other schools, we have changed the system regarding the amount of local money a school is required to possess for building projects. Schools are allowed to request voluntary contributions, but it has come to my attention that parents have been put under pressure to make such payments. This is wrong because schools are not allowed to put such pressure on parents. The word "voluntary" means that parents should only make such a payment if they feel they are in a position to do so. This matter has come to my attention and I have raised it with school principals.
This is occurring all over the country and parents are being put under pressure because the State is not doing its job in terms of giving the capitation required.
Regarding band one of the delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, scheme, which relates to schools in the most disadvantaged areas, will the Minister consider giving additional support to such schools? I recently visited four national schools in disadvantaged areas of my constituency that for the past three years have had an annualised debt problem. These schools have serious problems relating to security and providing resources. I request that the Minister examine again the issues facing the most disadvantaged schools in the country.
Will the Minister comment on a commitment given in the programme for Government to double capitation over the next five years? Why should it take five years? Can the Minister not get on with it in the next two years? This funding should be front-loaded as it is required to meet the escalating costs of running schools.
It is our intention to double capitation over the lifetime of this Government and I accept that this action is needed. The amount that can be achieved in any year depends upon the Estimates and budget.
Regarding the DEIS scheme, priority funding goes to band one schools. Of the amount of money I previously mentioned, an additional €13.4 million goes to 670 primary schools and 203 post-primary schools while the other €4 million is spent in a more dispersed way. The DEIS scheme has been running for two years and the money is targeted at schools in the most disadvantaged areas so hopefully those schools that have experienced problems previously will now find they have sufficient funding.
We have always recognised, especially through summer works schemes, that some schools in disadvantaged areas need fencing and security cameras and we have tried to facilitate them.
105 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science her views on the possibility of introducing a laptop computer to all students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21843/07]
The Government is determined to ensure that all students have the opportunity to acquire good information technology, IT, skills that will stand to them throughout their lives. Equally, we are committed to realising the potential of information and communication technology, ICT, to improve the educational experience across the broad range of subjects taught in our schools.
The investment of €185 million in the schools' ICT programme from 1998 to 2006 has delivered significant improvements. The number of computers in our schools has increased significantly. By 2005, there was one computer for every nine primary school pupils, down from one for every 16 in 2000. At post-primary level, there was one computer for every seven pupils in 2005, down from one for every 11 in 2000. The National Council for Technology in Education has provided over 130,000 training places for teachers in a wide range of areas, including technical courses, subject specific courses, web use, web design and digital media courses. Through Scoilnet and other initiatives curriculum-mapped on-line resources have been made available and schools have been networked and given broadband access.
Considerable improvements have been made but we are conscious that challenges remain and have set out an investment of €252 million in schools ICT under the national development plan. A new strategy is being developed that will be comprehensive, well considered and informed by best practice in other countries. This will ensure that schools have the right package of hardware, software, training, curricular content, maintenance services and other necessary supports available to them.
The Deputy's question refers to the provision of laptops to all students, but I will take it that he means only second level students. This would be an extremely expensive development and one that, for a number of reasons, I do not believe would be a wise investment. To start with costs, ultimately the price of each laptop would depend on the extent to which it is possible to standardise requirements and agree volume based prices with vendors. The machines would need to have a good suite of software included, a good memory capacity and be small enough to be relatively portable given that children would have to carry them around. Assuming one could get all this for €500 per unit, which may well be ambitious, the total purchase cost alone of providing laptops for all 334,000 second level students would amount to about €167 million.
There would of course be other very substantial costs for items such as insurance, maintenance and networking. The issue of replacement costs would also arise as would the risk of viruses being brought into the school from home systems.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House.
It should also be noted that an OECD survey conducted in 2003 found that 87% of Irish young people had access to computers at home anyway. I absolutely accept that our schools need a major investment in computer hardware but I believe that rushing out and buying 334,000 laptops would be misguided.
Given the chronic level of funding for technology in our schools, the fact that most schools must depend on Tesco vouchers to obtain additional PCs and that in Northern Ireland an interactive whiteboard is standard, which is not the case in this jurisdiction, will the Minister recognise that the proposal I have set out is sensible not only from a cost, but an environmental perspective and also in terms of encouraging greater interconnectivity within our secondary school system?
Is the Minister aware of a recent project introduced under the connect programme in south Dublin in my area, in respect of which a school has been given laptop facilities, which is showing a phenomenal success rate in terms of fostering interest in school and efficiency in terms of the way time is used between pupils and teachers? Will she give this proposal a more considered view as I believe the costs it would involve as she outlined in her reply are exaggerated? If we were to move towards the introduction of such a project over a period, it would be cost efficient as opposed to the amounts of money she mentioned in her reply.
I genuinely do not believe that the provision of a laptop for every student is the best use of resources or the way to promote an e-learning culture in a school. It is as important to ensure there is proper teacher training, proper technical support and good software and hardware that is relevant to the whole school.
I am not convinced of the value of the provision of an interactive whiteboard for every class. I have seen them in action in some places. A good teacher is a good teacher with a blackboard or a whiteboard and a bad teacher is a bad teacher with a whiteboard or a blackboard. All of this must be part of an overall strategy. The strategy group, which is due to report to me, has been examining not only the aid of the computer in the classroom, but other aids such as digital projectors and how they can be incorporated into the curriculum. A broader e-learning culture is important and cannot be achieved by giving each student a laptop.
I am familiar with the case of the school to which the Deputy referred because I launched that project in Tallaght. It is an exciting one but also a demanding one because, equally, the staff must be trained. I know those involved find it a positive experience and much work has been invested in the project by the council and the staff of the school to make sure it works.
