Written Answers Nos. 301-321
301. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the year in which the additional capitation funding for children with special educational needs was introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47637/12]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that enhanced rates of capitation funding are paid in respect of children with special educational needs who attend special schools or special classes attached to mainstream schools. The special rates vary, depending on the categorisation of the particular school or class. Rates of up to €879 per pupil are payable in comparison with the standard capitation rate of €178 per pupil. Additional capitation of €7.5m was provided for pupils in special schools and special classes attached to mainstream schools in 2011.
My Department's Circulars 40/2009 and 48/2009 clarify issues relating to the allocation of funding for schools. Schools have flexibility and discretion on how to target funding to the school's own priorities, based on its knowledge and understanding of the needs of the students it serves.
As the information requested by the Deputy relates to the introduction of the additional capitation funding many decades ago, it is not readily available and will involve retrieval and analysis of archived files, following which the information requested will be forwarded to the Deputy.
302. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total funding allocated for special needs education in each year since 1997 including this year. [47638/12]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that this Government remains committed to the protection of frontline services for pupils with special educational needs. The programme for Government sets out that education will be a priority for this Government and that we will endeavour to protect and enhance the educational experience of children, young people and students. The continued commitment of this Government to special education provision, at a time when savings are being required across a range of expenditure areas, has ensured that children with special educational needs can continue to have access to educational facilities in line with their requirements.
Approximately 15% of the entire budget of my Department – some €1.3 billion – was spent in support of children with special educational needs in 2011. Provision for the current year is in line with expenditure for last year showing that, despite the current economic difficulties, the overall level of funding for special education has not been cut. The equivalent spends for 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 are €468m, €605m, €706m, €838m, €900m, €1bn and €1.2bn respectively.
The Deputy will be aware that expenditure in relation to supports provided for children with special educational needs occurs across a number of separate divisional areas such as, for example, salary costs for additional teaching and Special Needs Assistant (SNA) supports, school building adaptations, assistive technology, transport arrangements and enhanced capitation payable. From 2004 onwards, the particular spend on special education within the various categories has been differentiated and aggregated. However, details of the disaggregated expenditure made for children with special educational within various categories of expenditure provision was not separately recorded prior to 2004 and is therefore not readily available.
303. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the number of special classes in mainstream schools in each year since 1997. [47639/12]
View answerFirstly, I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports. This includes the allocation of resource teaching hours to schools as well as the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required and the discontinuation of such classes where the need no longer exists. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such supports.
In respect of special classes, schools are required to observe Department policy in enrolling children to these classes. This includes having a professional assessment confirming that the child's attainment levels meet the Department's criteria and a recommendation for special class placement. Schools are eligible for resources for special classes when the pupils enrolled meet the Department's criteria and where there are enough eligible pupils to retain a class.
Information going back to 1997, as requested by the Deputy, is not readily available. However, I can advise the Deputy that the number of special classes rose from approximately 350 classes in 1998 to over 500 in 2010. The number of special classes in mainstream schools from 2010 to present is 516 in the 2010/11 school year, 549 in the 2011/12 school year and 640 in the 2012/13 school year.
304. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of educational psychologists working with National Educational Psychological Service; and the number in place each year since its establishment. [47640/12]
View answerThe table sets out for the Deputy's information a count and a whole-time equivalent when work-sharing is factored in, of the number educational psychologists employed by my Departments NEPS service by year, since its establishment in 1999.
No. of Educational Psychologists employed in NEPS by Year.
|
Year |
No. Psychologists |
Whole-Time Equivalent |
|
1999 |
43 |
43.0 |
|
2000 |
69 |
68.0 |
|
2001 |
84 |
82.5 |
|
2002 |
118 |
116.1 |
|
2003 |
123 |
120.4 |
|
2004 |
127 |
122.9 |
|
2005 |
118 |
114.0 |
|
2006 |
124 |
117.8 |
|
2007 |
134 |
126.7 |
|
2008 |
155 |
148.5 |
|
2009 |
153 |
146.9 |
|
2010 |
165 |
158.9 |
|
2011 |
173 |
166.0 |
|
2012 |
167 |
158.8 |
I can inform the Deputy that an additional eight new psychologists are currently engaged with the public appointments service with a view to their being recruited to NEPS in the current academic year.
305. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will examine the possibility of introducing driving lessons and driving theory as a compulsory component of the transition year programme in the interest of creating road safety awareness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47651/12]
View answerI have no plans to introduce driver education in the form of driving lessons in schools and this is not the norm within the EU. Research available internationally is inconclusive on the benefits of teaching young people to drive at school. Particular issues highlighted include the gap arising between the time practical skills are learned initially and put into regular practice and the risks arising from more young people taking up driving at an earlier age.
However, a road safety programme for transition year has been developed by the Road Safety Authority in collaboration with my Department, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and the Professional Development Service for Teachers and has been offered nationally as an option since September 2008. The programme is available in twenty hour and forty-five hour units. It features inputs from agencies such as the ambulance service, fire service and An Garda Síochána, as well as providing for visiting speakers, trips out of school, projects and case studies.
The programme provides for an introduction to road safety for pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and motorists and covers such issues as seat belts and airbags, driver fatigue, drink and drug driving, enforcement, basic first aid at road crashes, emergency services and rehabilitation. The programme is also supported by digital resources, including DVD support and access to international websites on road safety issues. Relevant driver theory test learning is included at the end of each module. The programme does not include driving lessons.
306. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the methodology by which the patronage model was decided for the new post primary school (details supplied); if this methodology will be repeated in other parts of the country in similar situations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47658/12]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, in June 2011, I announced new arrangements for the recognition and determination of patronage of new primary and post-primary schools. The patronage of the post-primary school referred to by the Deputy was decided under these new arrangements and details of the decision making process in that case are available on my Department's website. It is my Department's intention to continue using these criteria to decide the patronage of new schools.
307. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the grants being provided to broadband suppliers to ensure that their services are connecting to schools in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47662/12]
View answerUnder the schools broadband access programme the Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary schools and those post primary schools not connected under the 100 mbps programme.
All contracts under the schools broadband access programme were recently re-tendered under a public procurement competition. As a result of this the number of service providers has been expanded from six to 13, with the aim of ensuring that where available similar levels of service would be provided to all schools, where a certain level of service was not available for a particular school the next best solution was awarded. Services were not awarded on the basis of a school's location but on the basis of the most appropriate solution for that school. These contracts were signed in the last two months and the migration of schools onto the new services is currently under way. In 2012 it is expected that service providers will be paid approximately €3.7 million for the provision of this service.
A working group comprising representatives from the Department, HEAnet and the Department of Communications and Natural Resources has recommended a strategy for the roll out of 100 mbps to all post primary schools. The national roll-out will be completed over three stages with 202 schools being connected by the end of October 2012, a further 200 being connected next year and the remaining 250 schools being connected in 2014.
308. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) in County Meath may expect to receive faster broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47665/12]
View answerUnder the schools broadband access programme the Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary schools. All contracts under the schools broadband access programme were recently re-tendered under a public procurement competition. As a result of this the number of service providers has been expanded from six to 13, with the aim of ensuring that where available that a preferred solutions would be awarded to a school. These contracts were signed in the summer and the migration of schools onto the new services is currently under way.
The Department is aware of the difficulty that some schools, such as Culmullen National School, have with their broadband service. Through the public procurement process the Department has sought as far as possible to reduce the reliance on satellite services and the number of schools reliant on a satellite connection has fallen from approximately 1,800 in 2005 to approximately 340 at present. Satellite connections and some other slower connections have only been awarded where no other solution was proposed and contracts for these connections have only been awarded for one year. These schools will be re-tendered next summer and in the interim the Department will liaise with service providers to try and ensure that where possible improved connections will be made available.
309. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a site for a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47703/12]
View answerMy Department has sought the assistance of, and is working closely with, the relevant Local Authority in relation to identifying and acquiring a suitable site for the school to which the Deputy has referred. Due to commercial sensitivities attaching to site acquisitions generally, it is not possible to comment further on the site acquisition at this time.
310. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a vice-principal for a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47704/12]
View answerVocational Educational Committees are responsible for all staff appointments to vocational schools including that of deputy principal subject to agreed procedures.
311. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way he intends safeguarding the status of history in the proposed new junior cycle; the role of the History Teachers' Association of Ireland in this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47666/12]
View answerIn the new Junior Cycle all students will be expected to achieve 24 statements of learning over the period of their Junior cycle. These include valuing local, national and international heritage and understanding the importance of the relationship between past and current event and the forces that drive change and understanding the origins and impacts of social, economic and environmental aspects of the world around him or her. It is clear therefore that historical awareness skills will be necessary to achieve the required outcomes.
The revised Junior cycle history syllabus will be implemented in schools from September 2017. When work begins on revision of the history syllabus, interested groups, including the History Teachers Association of Ireland, will be consulted. In conclusion, I would emphasise that I am in favour of leaving the decisions on what is offered to the discretion of the school and of students having as broad a range of options to choose from as possible.
312. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost to the Exchequer in monetary terms of supervision and substitution allowances in the secondary education sector; if the allowance is paid even if no supervision and substitution work is carried out; if the payment is considered good value for money by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47706/12]
View answerThe cost of the supervision and substitution scheme (S and S) for voluntary secondary and community and comprehensive schools in 2011 was €35.2 million (including employers PRSI).
Teachers appointed prior to the 1 February 2012 who participate in the S and S scheme contract to be available for 37 hours over the school year (pro rata for part time employees) to cover for supervision and substitution. Under the terms of the Croke Park agreement second level teachers participating in the scheme must be available for three time-tabled class periods per week. This was previously two class periods per week. The details are outlined in Circular 25/2011 which can be accessed on my Department's website.
The Croke Park agreement ensures that there is better utilisation of the scheme. The agreement also provides that in circumstances where a teacher is time-tabled for a class period with a group of students that are participating in an out-of-school activity which requires the absence from school of another teacher or teachers, the teacher may be reassigned, in accordance with his or her timetable to facilitate that absence.
The recent decision following the review of public service allowances and premium payments provides that any teachers appointed for the first time after 1 February 2012 and who participate in the supervision and substitution scheme in the 2012/13 school year and thereafter must contract for forty nine hours instead of thirty seven to receive the same annual payment.
School authorities are obliged to administer the scheme in accordance with the terms of my Department circulars and ensure it is utilised in the most effective and efficient manner.
313. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on a school (details supplied) in County Galway; if clarity from the lease holders of the site has been received; if it will progress to architectural planning stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47744/12]
View answer342. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the provisions of funding for a school (details supplied) in County Galway which has supplied his Department with all necessary documentation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48131/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 313 and 342 together.
A green field site for a new school building for the school, referred to by the Deputies has been identified. The current leaseholders of the site concerned have confirmed that arrangements are being made to vest the site in the school authorities. The timing of when the project can advance to the next stage of the architectural planning process can be considered when the site position has been finalised and in light of available funding.
The Deputies will be aware that in view of the need to prioritise available funding for the provision of additional school accommodation, the delivery of major school projects required to meet future demographic demand will be the main focus for capital investment in the coming years.
314. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress that has been made on the Programme for Government commitment to provide 60,000 new education and training places. [47746/12]
View answerThe programme for Government committed the Department of Education and Skills to provide an additional 30,000 training places across the education and training system, distributed in line with the recommendations of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs.
To date over 28,000 additional places have already been provided across a number of initiatives which are set out below.FAS Specific Skills Training programme.
Higher Education Springboard programme
Back to Education Initiative
Post Leaving Certificate places
Labour Market Education and Training Fund
Springboard 2012
My Department and its agencies will continue to explore and develop innovative training and education initiatives that will further support the commitment under the programme for Government and will equip individuals with the necessary skills to avail of future job opportunities.
315. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list in tabular form, the numbers of newly qualified teachers who have secured a full-time appointment on or after the 1 January 2011 and who are in receipt of a reduced salary scale and allowances. [47747/12]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is not available in the format required. There are a total of 3,306 newly appointed primary teachers since 1 January 2011. This number includes qualified and unqualified appointees who were employed on permanent, fixed term and casual substitute contracts. The corresponding post-primary figures are being obtained and will be forwarded to the Deputy.
All teachers who are appointed to a teaching post for the first time after 1 January 2011 are paid on the new lower rates of pay.
316. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position in regarding a new school building (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47752/12]
View answerI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has an application with the Department for a major building project. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major capital works, including this project, is available on the Department's website at www.education.ie.
Due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements, it was not possible to advance all applications for capital funding concurrently.
Schools, including the one referred to by the Deputy, which have not been included in the five year construction programme but which are currently in the early stages of architectural planning will be progressed incrementally through the various stages of the architectural planning process within the context of the funding available.
Earlier this year, the school was invited to partake in the prefab replacement initiative which includes replacing the school's existing prefabs with a permanent structure. However, for various reasons, the school has indicated that it is unable to participate in this initiative.
317. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider making it mandatory for boards of management to factor in water harvesting facilities for all new school builds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47760/12]
View answerMy Department is at the forefront of design with respect to energy efficiency in school buildings. This performance has been recognised at both national and international level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in design and specification. Furthermore it has been demonstrated that all primary schools designed and built in line with my Department's technical guidance documents can achieve an energy performance that is 2.3 times more efficient than international best practice and nearly five times more efficient than schools built in the late 1980s.
A number of test projects were completed in recent years to establish the opportunity and associated issues with the use of rainwater recovery systems in schools. Following the evaluation of these schemes, rain water harvesting systems are now provided in all new schools and large extensions where it is feasible to do so.
318. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details regarding the number of school transport appeals submitted to the School Transport Appeals Board; the number granted and the criteria surrounding the appeals that were approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47766/12]
View answerThe full terms of reference for the School Transport Appeals Board, which is independent of my Department, are available on the Department's website at www.education.ie.
In the current year to date the board has considered 125 cases and in all but one of these cases found that the terms and conditions of the scheme were properly applied by the Department and Bus Éireann. The one case that was allowed related to the issuing of a ticket for a school transport service and was an operational matter for Bus Éireann.
319. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether a student who qualifies for free school transport and who with regard to the Irish language is now travelling to a school that is not the nearest post primary school, should have to pay for school transport; if it contravenes the criteria as determined by his Department and Bus Éireann having regard to ethos and language (details supplied) [47767/12]
View answerUnder the terms of my Department's post primary school transport scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 km from and are attending their nearest education centre, as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is not attending his nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Children who are not eligible for school transport under the terms of the scheme may apply to Bus Éireann for transport on a concessionary basis provided there are spare seats available on the service and the appropriate annual charge is paid. Only eligible children who hold valid medical cards (GMS Scheme) are exempt from paying the annual charge.
320. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department are working on a research document regarding the introduction and merits of applied behavioural analysis in respect of teaching students with autism. [47798/12]
View answerMy Department's position is that as each child with autism is unique, they should have access to a range of different approaches to meet their individual needs. Applied Behavioural Analysis, or ABA, is one of the approaches used in special classes for children with autism.
The use of ABA as part of the range of interventions is particularly useful for addressing behavioural issues. My Department supports the use of ABA and training is provided for teachers in its use. Therefore it is not researching its introduction. However, the Department does not accept, based on research, advice and best practice, that ABA should be the only approach used. While ABA helps to improve behaviour, other approaches, such as Treatment and Education of Autistic Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH), Picture Exchange Communications System (PECS) are just as important in developing children's communication and speech skills. It is important that children have access to a range of approaches so that their broader needs can be met.
The Deputy may be interested to note that teachers in special schools have been using ABA principles for more than 25 years. ABA involves the systematic application, at any time during the child's day, of behavioural principles to modify behaviour. The effectiveness of behavioural interventions to improve the performance of children with autism and to ameliorate behavioural difficulties has been recognized for decades. My Department's child centred policy is based on advice received from international experts on autism, NEPS, the Inspectorate and the report of the Irish Task Force on Autism.
321. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason concessionary students who are not allocated tickets under the school transport scheme in the lottery are not allowed to avail of the bus service on a first come first served basis on any day that the full complement of seats are not filled on the school bus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47776/12]
View answerBus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department; it is responsible for the time-tabling and routing of services. Seats are allocated and tickets issued up to the maximum seating capacity of a school bus and once the seating capacity is reached, no further tickets can be issued.
On any given school day it is impossible to anticipate the exact number of ticket holders who will travel and absenteeism will sometimes result in a small amount of seats being available on a particular day. However, it is not possible to allow pupils who do not hold tickets to travel on an ad-hoc basis as this has the potential to result in an overload situation which would pose an unacceptable safety risk and contravene road traffic regulations.
