David Stanton
Question:52. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of the transition year programme per annum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43015/12]
Other Questions
School Funding
My Department provides specific teaching resources and additional grant aid to schools that offer the transition year programme. An additional teacher allocation is given to each school offering the programme, based on a pupil-teacher ratio of 18.5:1 for DEIS schools, 19:1 for schools in the free education scheme and 21:1 for fee-charging schools. Schools in the free education scheme also qualify for payment of a transition year grant of €95 for each pupil participating in the programme.
The cost of transition year grants in 2012 was €2.7 million. My Department allocated approximately 1,700 whole-time equivalent teaching posts in the 2012-2013 school year in respect of transition year, with an estimated cost of €109 million.
I am deputising for Deputy Stanton, who asked me to ask the Minister whether the Department of Education and Skills has done a cost-benefit analysis on the cost of transition year. For my part, I strongly believe a curriculum needs to be laid down. Issues have been raised with regard to the disappointing PISA results. We all know certain subjects need to be taught, including languages and science subjects. I am conscious this is all against a backdrop of budgetary constraints and that we need value for money. Although many students and parents have reported a good experience of transition year, a significant number of students have reported a disappointing experience. Are we getting value for money?
The real question is whether young people are obtaining a valuable education experience in transition year. In its original conception, transition year was designed to be an antidote or a contrast to the experience of swotting for the junior certificate examination. I have already made an announcement on the future of that examination. I have asked the Irish Second-Level Students Union, ISSU, to consider the position on transition year and invite opinions from students, some of whom are in the Visitors Gallery. I would like to discover what students think of transition year. Are they of the view that it could be better or more structured or is it a waste of money? Do those who complete transition year have a great time? How would students improve transition year? Young people, particularly those who have just completed the junior certificate examination and are commencing transition year, are in many respects much better placed to inform us of what they do or do not like about the year. The relevant research shows that, by and large, young people who complete transition year - these individuals now comprise a large percentage of the total cohort of secondary school students - obtain better academic results than those who do not do so.
I agree with the Minister with regard to young people having an input into this matter. Like Deputy David Stanton, in whose name the original question was tabled, I would like a cost-benefit analysis to be carried out. I accept that research indicates that children who complete transition year obtain approximately 40 points extra in the leaving certificate examination. However, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I would be interested in discovering what we and young people are getting in return for the money being invested.
My two youngest children completed transition year in recent times and their experiences of it were massively different. My daughter's transition year programme was extremely well structured. She had a brilliant time and gained a great deal from it. However, the same emphasis was not placed on transition year in the school my son attended. I remain of the view that it was better that he completed the year because he will be one year older when he sits his leaving certificate examination. I agree with the Minister that being more mature when sitting the leaving certificate examination is a real bonus. It would be good if firmer structures were in place in the context of how schools operate the transition year programme. They should all be obliged to give transition year the emphasis it deserves.
I had a similar experience with my son who is now in sixth year. A great deal depends on the motivation of the young people involved, the individual co-ordinators of transition year programmes and the level of general engagement. On the one hand, the dilemma for me, as Minister for Education and Skills, is that people are stating we are being too prescriptive with the curriculum, that we are overloading it and that schools are being instructed on what they should be doing almost every minute of every day. On the other hand, we are trying to inform schools that they should do their own thing during transition year. A balance must be struck.
I am going to examine the responses I receive from the ISSU and others on this matter and then consider the guidelines and assistance we can offer to secondary schools in order that they will have a menu of choices and activities to offer students. I accept that some of the latter are already in place, but I am concerned to discover whether improvements are necessary and whether new options might be offered. In that respect, we could consider whether it might be possible to tap into young people's enthusiasm for information technology and all the activities associated with it. We must harness that which is already in place in a way which will make transition year a more worthwhile experience for most of those who participate in it.
Mental Health Guidelines
Dara Calleary
Question:53. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider the introduction of a whole school approach to tackling mental health in education rather than the current curriculum based approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43055/12]
John Browne
Question:61. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress made to date in drafting inter-departmental guidelines to establish a framework for addressing mental health in the education system; when he expects the guidelines to be published; if he will ensure that these are applied to primary level as well as post primary level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43054/12]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 61 together.
The Department plans to launch the guidelines on mental health for post-primary schools this year. The guidelines will provide practical support for post-primary schools in addressing mental health promotion and suicide prevention. They are intended to build on the existing good practice in many schools. They highlight the need for all schools to adopt a whole-school approach in the promotion of mental health and well-being. A co-ordinated whole-school approach involves building and integrating school self-evaluation processes, together with the effective implementation of the SPHE curriculum which is mandatory at primary level. Operationalising the guidelines will be supported by my Department's support services, including the NEPS, in collaboration with other relevant services. It is not planned at this point in time to develop guidelines on mental health for primary schools.
I ask this question in the light of some of the issues I raised as Priority Questions. It is clear that greater action is required to support young people who are experiencing mental health issues and that the school environment is a place in which positive mental health should be promoted. It is estimated that at any one time one in five young people is experiencing psychological difficulties. According to recent research presented by Headstrong, the number could be as high as one in four. Research indicates that adopting a whole-school approach is the most effective way of targeting mental health promotion rather than a curriculum-based approach in programmes such as the SPHE programme. The whole-school approach seeks to change the ethos of a school and make good mental health a primary objective. Will the Minister reconsider his approach and consider implementing this programme? Has he had any engagement with the Children's Mental Health Coalition which is campaigning for the adoption of a whole-school approach to mental health?
I thank the Deputy for his comments and broad support for the adoption of a whole-school approach. In fact, much of the thinking behind this approach is embedded in the core values of the proposals for the junior cycle curriculum. I hope the House will have an opportunity within a few weeks to debate the document launched last week. The key in what we are trying to do is vesting responsibility for mental health well-being in the school community, rather than it being a specific and particular task of one individual or group of individuals. We all need to be apprised of health awareness. Younger people today are more mature than we were at their age. The stresses and strains of living in modern society have become more complex and severe. The economic downturn has caused significant stress for many families, many of whom would not have envisaged having to deal with such economic difficulties. All of these factors require the adoption of a wider approach to their resolution and the provision of some support. I agree with the Deputy that the adoption of a whole-school approach is the way to go. I have received the communication from the coalition to which the Deputy refers which I will take into account when communicating with schools.
This is a matter which requires urgent attention. The Minister states the programme may form part of the reform of the junior certificate curriculum. However, this reform is planned to take place in the next eight years, which is a very long time in the life of a student. There is international evidence that adopting a whole-school approach to mental health is the most effective way of ensuring the mental health of students. We need to ensure parents, students, schools and teachers are all involved in promoting good mental health. The Minister must work to achieve real progress at school level in the implementation of a whole-school programme.
The sub-committee which worked on the guidelines comprised representatives from the Departments of Health, Children and Youth Affairs and Education and Skills, as well as the Health Service Executive. Funding was provided by the National Office for Suicide Prevention which fully supports this work. The programme will be examined in the light of its application to the current school landscape. I do not wish to give the impression that its application will be in some way dependent on the implementation of the transition year programme. It represents the same thinking in the reform proposed for the junior cycle curriculum rather than in transition year.
Universities Global Ranking
Micheál Martin
Question:54. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the most recent world university rankings which showed that universities here have slipped again; the steps he is taking to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43069/12]
The position of Irish universities in The Times higher education rankings has remained relatively stable this year, showing that Ireland still has two universities in the top 200; two universities in the top 350 and another in the top 400. Two of these universities, Trinity College Dublin and the National University of Ireland, Galway, NUIG, have improved their relative ranking positions in the past year. While UCD's relative ranking has fallen, its overall point score is higher than last year.
While some higher education systems have invested heavily in elite institutions and adopted a policy of differentiated support for different tiers of institutions, our focus in this country is on advancing performance across an accessible and diverse system of institutions. This policy is paying dividends for Ireland's growing competitiveness and we are now ranked first in the world in the IMD world competitiveness survey for the availability of skilled labour, owing to our impressive ranking of first in the European Union and fourth in the OECD for the higher education attainment rates of our 25 to 34 year olds.
We learned last week that our universities had again slipped down the latest rankings in The Times higher education survey, with Ireland no longer represented among the top 100 institutions worldwide. The drop in position for University College Dublin, from 159 to 187, is particularly dramatic and worrying. Trinity College Dublin is slightly up, from 117 to 110, but has failed yet again to make it into the top 100. Six years ago it was ranked among the top 50 colleges worldwide, while UCD was comfortably inside the top 100. What does the Minister propose to do to address this ongoing decline in ranking? Increasing the student contribution fee every year for 250 years simply will not address the problem. Responding to the latest data for the falling status of Irish universities, Dr. Hugh Brady observed: "Economic factors here are part of the reason, but we must also recognise that investment by universities in other countries is raising the level of competition internationally." The Minister has decided not to publish a recent report on the future of the third level education sector which was compiled by international experts and presented to him by the Higher Education Authority. Will he explain why the report has not been published and why it was commissioned in the first place if it was not to be taken on board?
The seven Irish universities are ranked in the top 2% among the 15,000 universities in the world. That is an extraordinary statistic by any measure. However, the rankings are somewhat self-seeking in that it is possible to construct any matrix of measurement in order to obtain a certain skewed result. For example, one of the strongest countries in Europe for research, including applied research, is Germany, yet the number of German universities which feature in the rankings is relatively small. The purpose of the Shanghai index was to benchmark Chinese research universities against what was being achieved in the United States. Other ranking systems give slightly different results and within these rankings there are good stories and not so good ones. One can almost pick and choose the system which best suits one's needs. Nevertheless, I accept the point the Deputy is making. All other issues being equal, our universities have fallen in the rankings. While UCD has actually moved up a few places, it has been overtaken by other universities for a variety of reasons. Some of it is to do with resources, including pupil-staff ratios and the availability of funding for research. I have spent some time studying the data and there is clearly a lack of consistency in some of the indicators. In some cases, for example, administrative staff and a host of other non-contact staff are included in the pupil-staff ratio, thereby ensuring a more favourable rating for the institution in question.
The current position is that I am awaiting the landscape document from the Higher Education Authority which was commissioned on foot of the report on third level education published in January 2011. There was a request which I did not seek and which was not brought to the notice of the Department for the international experts to give a view as to what the configuration of the entire third level sector should be. This was separate to the recommendations made in Dr. Hunt's report and the initial action taken by the HEA in inviting all of the third level institutions to indicate their view in collaborating and associating with other institutions in their area. I did not want the second part of that report to be published because it would be a distraction from the main exercise on which we had embarked.
I await the report and it will be published in due course, albeit not immediately. I want the institutions in question and the Higher Education Authority to stick to the original mission they set themselves by publishing, probably in February or March 2013, their response to the future landscape configuration of third level education.
The Minister appeared to indicate he was not aware the report was being commissioned and neither he nor his Department had requested it. Is that correct? He referred to the roadmap produced in the Hunt report, which also deals with the information technology sector and opportunities for universities to apply for technological university status. What is the current position in this regard? The Connacht-Ulster Alliance recently made a presentation to Members setting out a proposal to create a technological university in the north west. A similar case has been made for Waterford and Dublin. It is important that the regions are given an opportunity to make a case for securing technological university status. What timeline is envisaged for this process?
At a time of scarce and reducing resources, I also have reservations about the manner in which universities are being assessed. I note the assessment is based on a number of factors, namely, research, teaching, employability and internationalisation. Only last week, I met two lecturers from different departments at University College Dublin who were at pains to point out that the university assessment in heavily biased towards research. They argue that the scarcity of resources means teaching and students must be given top priority if we are to achieve the best outcomes for university students. Achieving the best possible results will require us to focus on teaching and students. In the past four years, the purchase of new books for the UCD library has been virtually frozen in the case of some departments. While I accept that money is not plentiful, this is a serious problem. It is all very well to spend a fortune on research to impress those who carry out such assessments but our priority must be to look after our universities and students.
I will reply first to Deputy Wallace before addressing the questions asked by Deputy McConalogue. The Deputy confirms my comment on the distortion that certain types of indices can give to the overall outcome of a ranking. Investment in research, the level of peer review of papers and reputation are all used as indices. However, the assessment may be carried out by people who have never been to Ireland. They may, therefore, base their reputational assessment on an image they have of the country and its universities. There is evidence to suggest that the onset of the economic crisis in 2009-10 had a significant adverse effect on the reputation and perception of Irish universities, notwithstanding that there had been little or no significant shift in resource allocation or the student-teacher ratio. In the first instance, the ratings should indicate what is the quality of education for our pupils and students, while also conveying a message to the rest of the world about the quality of our education system. They are, however, designed to serve slightly different functions and address slightly different audiences.
As regards the configuration of the third level sector, we have seven universities, including the Dublin Institute of Technology, 14 institutes of technology and an array of other third level institutions, including some private institutions which avail of the CAO form for allocation and admission purposes. The more modern landscape of these 33 institutions is almost 40 years old when one considers the establishment of the regional technical colleges in the 1970s and early 1980s and, more recently, the establishment of the University of Limerick and Dublin City University. Information, transportation, communications and mobility have been transformed in the past ten or 20 years. We found, for example, that 19 institutions were delivering more than 40 courses for initial teacher training for primary and secondary school teachers. A recommendation has been made to reduce this number to a much more manageable and efficient group of six institutions. This arrangement will involve collaboration and co-operation between different institutions. We could do something similar with third level institutions.
That is why the HEA invited the institutions to indicate by the end of June in which direction they were going, where they saw themselves and the level of collaboration with other third level institutions in their regions. I am awaiting a report on this.
The HEA set out four clear steps that any institution that aspires to become a technological university must take. I outlined these steps in reply to an earlier question. The final decision on whether an institute becomes a new technological university will be made by an international panel of experts using objective criteria on the standard of academic competence the institute has achieved. It will not be a political decision made by myself or any future education Minister.
Bullying in Schools
Regina Doherty
Question:55. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the growing and worrying trend of youth self-harm and youth suicide, his plans to develop a policy to deal with the growth of social media in education and in particular the use of mobile phones, smart phones, i-pads and laptops during the normal school day; if he has examined the problem of cyber bullying, cyber abuse and the transmission of material including photographs by young persons in an unsupervised, uncontrolled and unacceptable way; in view of his policy to have high speed broadband available in most schools within a short period of time, his views on whether a national policy is required in relation to the use, abuse and misuse of social media in education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42811/12]
My Department is strongly supportive of the integration of information and communication technology, ICT, tools and techniques into teaching practice. However, I am conscious that the use of modern technology can also create opportunities for cyberbullying to occur. In this regard, following the recent anti-bullying forum held in May, I have established a working group to address the issue of tackling bullying in schools, including cyberbullying.
It should be noted that individual schools have the ability to filter the content of what is accessible through the school's broadband network. This allows teachers to use the Internet for teaching and learning in a manner that reduces the risk of pupils accessing inappropriate content. The Department also funds the Webwise initiative, which focuses on increasing understanding of Internet safety at school and in the home and improving skills in this regard. It is important for all of society to remain vigilant and alert to the potential risks associated with the use and misuse of modern technologies.
My question, No. 81, is similar to Deputy Doherty's. I thank the Minister for his reply. Often when I see young people in the Gallery, like today, I am reminded of the facilities some of them have to assist them with their education which we never had, such as laptops and smartphones. The Minister's determination to provide high-speed broadband to more schools will enhance young people's education and the use of these devices.
It takes only a small number of people to cause a major problem, however. We have seen in recent times how, with the absence of supervision, respect for others and responsibility, some young people have suffered as a result of cyberbullying. In one particular case, a young person who felt very vulnerable resorted to self-harm and suicide. I have had a particular interest in this area for a long time. The Minister's initiative of setting up a working group will lead, I hope, to policy formation which might be the missing piece from the jigsaw. I am satisfied the Minister will keep me appraised of the progress made in this regard. I hope this will assist us in supporting those suffering from cyberbullying in schools, in colleges and at home. I also hope it will ensure young people with access to such devices become more responsible.
I thank the Deputy for his comments and his interest in this area. Cyberbullying has become an enormous problem compared to what it used to be. First, it is no longer confined to the school because the electronic devices every young person has enables cyberbullying to continue 24-7. The consequence, accordingly, is that the young person who is bullied cannot escape from it at home. It is an emotional and psychological form of bullying.
We have tended to associate it more with females than males, while in the case of males it has tended to be far more physical. Either way it is a big problem. For this reason the working group was established following the conference or day seminar. I expect the report to be ready later this year with an action plan on what to do about bullying and how to mobilise support from a wide section in the school and education community, including the home, as well as help lines and a host of related things. Part of the issue is awareness. Cyber-bullying has become a recent phenomenon by virtue of the fact that every young person carries a smart telephone, which facilitates access in a way that was inconceivable five years ago. We must confront an old problem which is harnessing the wonders and facilities of modern technology and communications for evil and nasty purposes.
We must recognise the problem, recognise how wrong it is that bullying takes place and then come up with practical measures to prevent it.
Deputies Finian McGrath, Jonathan O'Brien and Clare Daly have indicated. I hope there will be a brief question from each.
Question No. 55 relates to self-harm and youth suicide. Does the Minister agree that it will take more than a working group to assist the issue of cyberbullying and the major stress it is causing to young teenagers? Another big issue is the bullying of gay teenagers going on in many second level schools. This is linked to self-harm and suicide. What proposals does the Minister have in mind to deal with this situation? What practical measures does the Minister have in place to deal with the issue of the bullying of young teenagers? Will the new, radical changes the Minister has planned to introduce in second level education include programmes or assistance for young teenagers?
I agree with the Minister that it has become a considerable problem and this is something the working group will examine. Has the Minister looked at other countries where there is stand-alone bullying legislation with a view to policy development and legislation here? The issue of bullying is not confined to children or students. There is a growing number of teachers who suffer from bullying in schools. Any working group examining the areas of bullying and cyberbullying should not confine itself to the student body. It should consider everyone in the education system.
The problem of bullying goes beyond social media and technology. The question asked related to the policy position. One positive aspect of the technology and its use in schools is a pilot programme in my area where the students, rather than being issued with books, are being issued with iPads. The teachers maintain the use of this technology is a valuable tool in terms of all-inclusive education. Has the Minister any plans in this regard? The other positive is that they are not weighed down by big mountainous sacks of bags every day and they can deal with that issue. The down-side is that the cost is €750, which is prohibitive. Anyway, if that gets a student through her school life, some plans for replacement and stressing the positive role of the technology could be included in a policy as well.
I concur with the previous speakers. The introduction of technology, especially iPads, into primary and secondary schools in the past year or two has been positive and it could reap many benefits in future. This opens up possibilities in terms of how people might bully others, fellow students and their teachers. I recall the emergence of the teacher rating website some years ago. That was the start of it. Facebook has become a big deal now as well. This creates serious issues. The pace of change of technology, especially with students having tablets and information technology hardware, will change in the coming years. It is crucial that clear guidelines are in place in schools on how they should cope with this and these should include protection policies.
First, I will address the broader question raised by Deputy Daly and remarked on by others. We are in the middle of a technological revolution in information technology. Any decision we might make in respect of one particular platform or type of technology could quickly become out of date. We have done some work at an infrastructural level and Deputy Keating has referred to this. In two years' time, that is to say, two years after this year, all of our 730 post-primary schools will have 2,000 megabyte broadband capability. This will enable us to transmit a great deal of information into schools. My preference is that we should acquire the intellectual property rights of much of the material to be transmitted and that we should assume that the schools and students will deal with an applicable hardware application.
The fact that information is becoming more friendly to different types of platforms is a bonus, unlike previous generations of electronic technology. For example, in the case of video cassettes, VHS was the less technologically advanced of the two options, Betamax being the other, but VHS won the technological war. There are many schools doing the sort of thing referred to by Deputy Daly, using the iPad or some electronic device to do work and communicate material with the consequential effect of a lighter working load.
There has always been bullying and favouritism in schools and there have always been teachers who get a hard time when others do not. This is being compounded by the coming out of many people whose sexual orientation had to be concealed for fear of social ostracising or loss of a job. It is not a million years ago since a teacher lost her job in New Ross because of her lifestyle. No one covered themselves in glory on that day and even the unfair dismissals legislation did not work on her behalf. We must be conscious of all of that and conscious that bullying is wrong but that it has now been given an extraordinary boost by the capacity of technology to be prevalent 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
I hope to get clear and constructive guidelines from the group, which may borrow from practices in others parts of the world as well as develop their creative activities. I assure Deputy McGrath that the whole gay and lesbian community in our society is protected from attack, like anyone else. Many of them are represented in our society and in education. When I get the report from the working group I will publish it and we might have a discussion on it in the House.
Special Educational Needs Services Provision
Seán Fleming
Question:56. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the recent policy advice from the National Council for Special Education in relation to tackling challenging behaviour in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43063/12]
The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, recently published its policy advice on the education of students with severe emotional disturbance or behavioural disorders. I welcome the publication of the report, which makes recommendations on how education can best be provided for such children in future, while ensuring minimal disruption for other pupils. The Department will consider the recommendations of the report, including any resource, policy, and staffing implications, and will prepare a plan for the appropriate implementation of these recommendations in the context of available resources. In the interim, schools will continue to be supported through the provision of additional resource teaching and special needs assistant support. Earlier this year, the Department also published new guidelines for schools on supporting students with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, which are available on the Department's website. Schools may also seek advice from the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, their special educational needs organiser or from the national behavioural support service, on how children with behavioural needs can best be supported in schools.
I thank the Minister for his reply. Mary Byrne, head of special education at the National Council for Special Education, recently estimated that more than €200 million worth of additional teaching resources is needed every year as a result of behavioural issues in schools. The Minister outlined that the council has recommended to him in its recent report that at least one teacher from every secondary school should undergo a three-day training course in how to deal with especially difficult behaviour from students. Recently, the TUI referred to how the loss of 700 teachers in second level schools has led to an increase in behavioural difficulties among some students there.
The Minister is looking into the report, but can he give a commitment that he will set up training in line with the recommendation for teachers so that at least we can ensure that one teacher from each school is trained in specialist behavioural management? Can he also give us a timeline as to when we can expect action in that regard?
We are still studying the report. The decision to mainstream, where possible, pupils with behavioural or special educational needs into the classroom has a consequence for the rest of the class. Also, teachers were not traditionally trained to deal with such issues and that will form part of continual professional development as well as part and parcel of the new formation for primary school teachers and post-primary school teachers in the colleges of education.
Would the Minister agree that the earliest intervention possible is the best way of dealing with the issue of severe misbehaviour in schools? Would he also agree that the first four years are vital?
Would the Minister agree - I ask this of broader society as well - that one cannot expect a four year old child to be a normal happy-clappy child in junior infants if he or she comes from a violent, dysfunctional family and we must intervene early? In terms of good news, would he agree that there are many examples of good practice with children at risk and children misbehaving in the DEIS schools?
I agree with Deputy Finian McGrath's last point. It is one of the issues that the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Fitzgerald, and I have discussed, that is, at what point can one start to interact with the school. Many of the children arrive in school with problems that have originated from outside. We must recognise that and look at what the National Education Welfare Board can do. The board cannot do anything in terms of attendance until the child is aged six, when, in fact, the problems are probably gone beyond a possible early-intervention solution. That area and the link between the home and the school, and even the preschool period, are where the warning bells ring, and unless we can intervene at that early stage, the chances of a subsequent successful intervention are diminished.
The NCSE's report to the Minister also recommended that the two education programmes, the Incredible Years programme and the Friends programme, which have recently undergone trial successfully in counties Carlow and Kilkenny, would be rolled out across the country. The Friends programme helps the students to manage the behaviour themselves and also to recognise when they are feeling anxious and to develop coping skills to deal with that. They seem to have worked well. The NCSE recommends that the programmes be rolled out nationally. I would ask the Minister for his initial thoughts on those two recommendations.
I will take a detailed look at these reports and the specific recommendations and seek advice from the specialists and the generalists in the Department of Education and Skills.
Third Level Admissions Reform
Sandra McLellan
Question:57. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the progress that has been made in achieving the goal set out in the Programme for Government to double the number of international students studying here particularly attracting students from India, China and the Middle East; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43108/12]
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:58. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress that has been made in implementing a National Strategy for International Education to develop the Education Ireland brand by encouraging more international students to study here and to create new jobs in the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43110/12]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 58 together.
We are pursuing a range of actions to implement the international education strategy and to position Ireland as a top-quality destination for study. At present, some 32,000 students are registered in Irish higher education institutions, including 7,000 studying on Irish programmes overseas.
We are concentrating our efforts on countries with potential for significant growth. An education mission to China took place in March last and further missions are expected for India, the Gulf, Vietnam and Malaysia in the coming months. I will formally launch a scholarship scheme later this year targeted at priority markets.
A series of branding initiatives are being rolled out by Enterprise Ireland, including an enhanced website, a social media strategy and a student ambassador programme.
On the regulatory front, the new Quality and Qualifications Agency will introduce a statutory code of practice and international education mark, in line with the recently enacted qualifications and quality assurance Act.
I thank the Minister of State for the reply.
He outlined the number as approximately 32,000, which is up some 6,000 on the 2010 figures I had. Even if one only considers the revenue created from that number of students in 2010 was €900 million, no doubt this is an important factor, not only for the universities but for the Irish economy. International students stay on average between 20 and 25 weeks, and that is a boost to local economies.
I welcome all of the initiatives Deputy Cannon outlined in terms of Enterprise Ireland and the trade missions. It is something that we should not lose sight of. There should be a significant focus put on this up until 2015 to meet the targets which were set out last year. It is important not only for the universities in terms of the funding pressures they find themselves under and the advantages of bringing in international students, but also in helping local economies and local businesses.
I wholeheartedly agree with everything the Deputy has said. This market will certainly be a major focus of my Department and the Government over the coming years.
We are beginning to see interesting developments, particularly in the relationship that exists between Ireland and Asia. A number of our universities have formed strong linkages or partnerships with institutes, in particular, in China and Malaysia, and we want to growth those partnerships and linkages over the coming years.
Rather than a fragmented university-by-university approach, we want to see a collaborative approach across all of third level provision in attracting students into Ireland. The new Education Ireland brand, which has been developed by Enterprise Ireland, is proving effective in that regard.
Teachers' Remuneration
Barry Cowen
Question:59. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the Croke Park Agreement and the protection of teachers' pay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43059/12]
As the Deputy will be aware, the Croke Park agreement was negotiated by the previous Government and this Government has consistently indicated that it will continue to abide by its terms.
This agreement has to be seen in its proper context. In fairness to all involved, both unions and successive Governments, it has delivered industrial peace following from the introduction of the pension levy and the subsequent pay cut. Importantly, it has and continues to have real benefits for productivity and change in the way public services are delivered.
I have always maintained that the public service as a whole needs to maximise the benefits of this agreement and to be unremitting in pursuing necessary changes.
The Minister created a serious issue here with the stance taken by him whereby new entrants to the teaching profession are on a radically reduced salary from that of those entering only a year previously. The starting salary has gone from €39,000 a couple of years ago to €31,000 now.
This is a matter I raised with the Minister in a Topical Issue debate the first week back after the summer recess. In response to my question on how he would manage teaching staff where new entrants were on a radically reduced salary from that of teachers who are teaching next door, the Minister outlined that he inherited the Croke Park agreement and his information was that he could not address salaries or allowances at this point in time. Also in response to me, the Minister outlined that he wanted to negotiate a new agreement and that the discrepancy between new teachers' salaries and existing teachers' salaries was something he would want to address at that stage and in that agreement. In my reading of it, that can only mean the Minister intends to revise downward overall teachers' salaries to come in line with the reduced rate he introduced for young teachers. Is that what he meant? Is that his intention?
Social partnership and the kind of structured agreements that we have had have by and large been good for this country over many years. They were abused and misused in the latter days of the Celtic tiger madness but as a principal way of doing business in a mixed economy like ours, it is a better way to go than the adversarial way which characterised industrial relations in the past.
There is much productivity that can be got out of the system. There is potential, particularly in the third level sector, to achieve enormous synergies, some of which we cannot even fully measure at present because we do not have direct access to some of the information.
I would like to see a successor agreement to the current Croke Park one. I have said that before; I am saying it again. As I stated earlier in answer to a question put by Deputy Catherine Murphy, issues have arisen because we were not able to cut the existing pay without breaking people's terms and conditions, and the spirit of the Croke Park agreement. All we could do was to lower the entry grade for newcomers to the system, as has happened right across the private sector as well.
Frankly, I would be surprised, in the context of discussions on a new agreement, if these issues were not put on the table by the parties to the agreement. I am not going to prejudge what those parties might want to say, how they might say it or where we will finish up at the end of the day. Certainly, it is in that context that I see the issue being addressed. Whether it will be addressed upwards or downwards is a matter for discussion in the negotiations, on the outcome of which I will not comment.
The reduction in salaries for young teachers is very unprofessional and not the way to go. In recent days I have talked to many young teachers and, to my surprise, their concern is not salaries but jobs. They are looking for jobs, which is their focus. One top-class, qualified teacher to whom I spoke had only worked for three days in the last six months. I would like the Minister for Education and Skills to focus on this issue above others. In the current economic climate there seems to be an anti-public service mood, with rants against teachers, HSE workers, special needs assistants, home helps and so forth. It seems people want to cut, slash, burn and destroy others. They are using phrases such as "productivity", but there are many in the public service, teachers in particular, who have increased their productivity but are getting no recognition for it. I ask the Minister to comment on this.
I agree with the Deputy that in the post-primary education sector, in particular, the nature and quality of employment for teachers who teach a range of subjects, as distinct from primary school teachers who are teaching young children and more holistic in their overall educational approach, are problematic. The nature of the contractual relationship between the employer bodies and secondary teachers is not satisfactory. It results in people who may have been in college for four years obtaining a primary degree followed by a further one or two years obtaining a higher diploma and are well into their twenties only finding part-time work, with very few hours. This is an issue which concerns me and I will be raising it in due course.
On the denigration of the public service, it has been my experience that those who make such casual comments are often the first to scream if they do not see a fire brigade or an ambulance within minutes of an emergency occurring or if there is a difficulty for an elderly relative and they cannot get him or her into a nursing home. It is not that they are doing it deliberately, but they are aided and abetted by some commentators in some of the newspapers, some of whom sit close to Deputy Finian McGrath on occasion.
I do not know to whom the Minister is referring.
Everyone in the House would agree on the importance of ensuring some of our top graduates continue to enter the teaching profession. However, statistics are available which show that even as things stood before the starting salary was reduced, students with certain levels of qualifications entering the teaching profession were starting on a salary which was lower than for those entering other industries with similar qualifications. I ask the Minister to confirm that what he is saying to new entrants whose salaries were cut is that he will consider potential increases as part of any new agreement.
I am concerned by the answer the Minister gave to Deputy Catherine Murphy when she asked if, in his opinion, the changes made to teachers' pay would impact on the quality of teachers entering the profession. His reply was not acceptable because he said his feeling was that it would not. I am wondering what analysis and assessments have been undertaken by the Department. The Minister has said he does not make up policy on the hoof. I certainly hope he does not make up policy based on feelings. I would like something more concrete than his feeling that the quality of teachers entering the profession will not be affected by the reductions in pay.
If there is a successor agreement, the lead person will, undoubtedly, be my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, because any agreement will involve more than just the education sector. I cannot anticipate or predict what shape or form it is likely to take. The only thing about which I am hopeful - I encourage all involved - is that there will be such an agreement to negotiate our way towards something that will meet the requirements of everybody in our society and address the economic reality in which we find ourselves. Deputy Johnathan O'Brien asked me a specific statistical question and I will arrange for the answer to be provided for him. I want to ensure the education system in the Republic continues to attract high quality young people from the secondary school system into the teacher training colleges of education because time and again all of the international evidence confirms that good teachers produce good educational outcomes, more than any other single factor. That is the dominant factor in delivering the quality in education that we need to ensure we continue to attract quality students.