Written Answers Nos. 102 - 120
102. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the fact that he has indicated that he will continue to pay ASTI members the annual supervision and substitution allowance of €1,769, gross, the amount he intends to allocate for this allowance in budget 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42184/13]
View answerPrior to the recent ballots on the Haddington Road Agreement, my Department agreed with TUI and ASTI that without prejudice to future positions that would arise in the event of rejection of the proposals, current Supervision and Substitution arrangements would remain in place. This was essential to ensure that schools opened for the new school year and remained functioning.
TUI has now accepted the Haddington Road Agreement and ASTI has not. Under the terms of the Financial Emergency legislation, the Government is empowered to make changes to remuneration and/or working time in respect of any group of public servants. The Government is reflecting on the outcome of the ASTI ballot and is considering all options. I would again ask ASTI to examine the costs to their members of remaining outside the Agreement and to reflect further upon this matter, particularly given that the non-implementation of the Agreement will have the greatest impact on young, newly-qualified teachers.
103. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure parents have access to generic school uniforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42148/13]
View answer119. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to introduce legislation to compel schools to introduce generic uniforms that would reduce costs for parents. [42204/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 119 together.
I have already expressed my concern in relation to costs incurred by parents on school uniforms. This is a matter on which I believe schools must take account of the wishes of parents.
During the course of this school year I will be publishing my plans for a Parent Charter that will strengthen the position of parents generally within our school system. I believe that changes to the Education Act 1998 will be important in underpinning such a charter and will form part of my proposals.
105. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will respond to concerns that a possible union ban on training for the new English syllabus will delay plans for the implementation of a new style junior certificate next September. [42208/13]
View answer121. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills the implications of the ASTI industrial action for the introduction of the new junior certificate reforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42237/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 121 together.
The new Junior Cycle gives flexibility and autonomy to schools by allowing them the opportunity to design their own curriculum in order to meet the needs of their students.
There is a dedicated Continuous Professional Development service in place called Junior Cycle for Teachers and a comprehensive plan of CPD for this and future years is being developed. JCT will provide CPD opportunities to both school leaders and teachers to support them as they plan and introduce their school's Junior Cycle programme in the 2013/14 school year for implementation in 2014/15. In the current school term, JCT is offering workshops for leaders as well as for all post-primary teachers of English. It is too early to comment on the uptake of CPD.
In regard to ASTI's industrial action, I would again ask ASTI to examine the costs to their members of remaining outside the Agreement and to reflect further, particularly given that the non-implementation of the Agreement will have the greatest impact on young, newly-qualified teachers.
106. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students who sat the leaving certificate applied in 2012; the number of those students who went on to PLC courses this academic term; the number who went to other third level institutes; the number on the live register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42190/13]
View answer3,228 students sat the Leaving Certificate Applied in 2012. Information is not currently available on whether these students went on to PLC courses, third level institutes or on to the Live Register.
107. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that his Department has engaged with the ASTI in an effort to resolve the industrial action by the ASTI following the rejection by its members of the Haddington Road agreement. [42207/13]
View answerThe Government has made its position clear - given the overall context of the State's ongoing financial difficulties, there can be no re-negotiation of the Haddington Road Agreement. Teaching is a valued and important profession and I am glad that the Agreement has been accepted by three of the four trade unions representing teachers and lecturers in Ireland. I would again ask ASTI to examine the costs to their members of remaining outside the Agreement and to reflect further upon this matter, particularly given that the non-implementation of the Agreement will have the greatest impact on young, newly-qualified teachers.
110. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure universal availability of a school book rental scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42145/13]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware I launched "Guidelines for Developing Textbook Rental Schemes in Schools" on the 28th January last. These Guidelines provide practical advice to primary and post-primary schools on how rental schemes can be established and operated. The aim of the Guidelines is to help as many schools as possible to start such book rental programmes.
The publication of these Guidelines followed a survey of schools conducted in 2011 by the Department. This had a 99% response rate at primary level, and showed that 76% of primary schools operate a book rental scheme. At second level, the response rate was lower, at 44%. Of those which did respond, 88% of those in the VEC sector and 73% of those in the Community & Comprehensive sector operated a book rental scheme.
I believe these results show that we have a good foundation to build on across the country. I hope that schools that are not yet operating book rental schemes will be encouraged to use the Guidelines to introduce them. If they do, it will result in substantial savings for parents. Schools which already have rental schemes can save parents up to 80% of the cost of buying new books.
A special "Guide for Parents" was also published, to inform them of how the schemes operate and how parents can help schools to establish and run them. I have been very clear in my support for book rental schemes. All of us who are parents know how expensive textbooks can be and what a burden it places on already hard pressed families at the start of every school year.
I am pleased to see the high level of book rental schemes in operation at primary level and I believe that these Guidelines will encourage this practice across all schools in our education landscape.
I also published a Report on Textbook Rental Schemes in Schools and the Allocation of Textbook Grants by the Department of Education & Skills in May 2012. This report presented four policy options to encourage schools to establish textbook rental schemes. None of the options are ideal, each one involves a trade-off of advantages and disadvantages.
The Department has not routinely gathered information on the number of schools operating book rental schemes. However, the Department will collect this information this year as part of the annual enrolment data returns from primary and post-primary schools. I will continue to monitor the number of schools operating book rental schemes, and if it proves necessary consider further steps to encourage schools to do so.
111. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of the report of the working group to review special education which he established in June 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42256/13]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has established a Working Group to develop a proposal, for consideration, for a new model for the allocation of teaching supports for children with Special Educational Needs, based on the educational profile of a school. Mr Eamon Stack, the NCSE Chairperson and former Chief Inspector in my Department, has been appointed to chair this working group.
I received an oral briefing from the Chairperson on the progress of the work of this group to date, on 2nd October, 2013. The group expects to complete its work by the end of Spring next year.
The NCSE consulted widely with interested parties in developing its policy advice and I understand that the Working Group has also consulted a range of interested parties as its work has progressed. The final proposals will be considered by my Department prior to any changes being made to the existing allocation system.
112. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to cap the student contribution fee. [42200/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Student Contribution stands at €2,500 for the current academic year and is payable by students who qualify under my Department's free fees schemes. I have already signalled my intention to increase the Student Contribution by €250 each year hereafter until the 2015/16 academic year when the contribution will stand at €3,000. The Contribution is paid by the Exchequer in respect of students who qualify under my Department's Student Grant Scheme (some 40%).
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is undertaking a study on the sustainability of the current funding system for higher education. This study was initiated at my request and an initial report has been published. This report makes it clear that immediate work is required to prepare for a longer term approach to a system that can be maintained through a sustainable funding base which will be able to address the continual expansion of the sector while protecting the quality of education. The HEA is continuing its work in this area and I will be advised further as this work progresses. The report will help inform decision-making as to the future funding of the sector.
113. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he intends to take to address the increasing numbers of disadvantaged children within the education system in view of the significant reduction in funding to support such children; the psychological supports being provided to children from grossly indebted families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42143/13]
View answerThe majority of schools include among their pupils, children with disadvantaged backgrounds, and in general most schools address the individual needs of these children without recourse to additional targeted resources.
DEIS "Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools" an action plan for educational inclusion focuses on addressing the educational needs of children and young people from the most disadvantaged communities. There are currently 852 schools, comprising 658 primary and 194 second-level schools are participating in DEIS, with an overall enrolment of almost 167,000 young people. These schools are eligible for a range of additional supports including additional funding to assist them in working to improve attendance, retention and educational outcomes for their students with lower pupil-teacher ratios for those schools with the highest levels of disadvantage.
In the current climate my Department's main focus is to retain, where possible, key resources in the schools targeted under the DEIS initiative. To this end resources in DEIS schools have been protected, with no overall changes to DEIS-related staffing levels or DEIS funding in 2013.
I can inform the Deputy that all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or where a NEPS psychologist is not available to a given school through a panel of private practitioners maintained under the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) which is administered by NEPS.
NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution focused consultative approach to maximize positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties.
Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Only in the event of a failure to make reasonable progress, in spite of the school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, will the psychologist become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention. This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention. This process has been embedded by NEPS psychologists in the Primary sector with the production by the Department of Special Educational Needs – A Continuum of Support guidance and resource materials which has been distributed to all schools since 2007/8. In late 2010 similar support documentation was produced in relation to Emotional and Behavioural difficulties in the Primary sector and in relation to a formal Post-Primary Continuum process.
114. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an assessment of the effects on Traveller children of the withdrawal of all major educational Traveller-specific supports; if he will consider reinstating State affirmative action such as upskilling and employing Travellers to be employed by his Department as community education workers and within schools and the National Education Welfare Board; and if he will consider reviewing his Department's policy regarding same as recommended by the Irish Traveller Movement. [42201/13]
View answerCurrent policy in relation to Traveller education is underpinned by the Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy which was launched in 2006, following wide ranging consultation with relevant stakeholders including Traveller representative groups.
The principle of inclusion is at the core of the Strategy and, accordingly, the focus of both current and future provision is on the development of a more inclusive school environment through the whole school planning process, teaching practice, admissions policies, codes of behaviour and whole school evaluation. In keeping with this principle, additional resources provided in the education system are allocated on the basis of identified individual educational need.
Recorded Traveller participation rates in education in recent years show an increase. The majority of Traveller students transfer from primary to post-primary education. Participation rates in the junior cycle have steadily improved from 1,598 Traveller students recorded in 2004/05 to 1,898 in the 2011/12 school year. The number of Travellers progressing to senior cycle has consistently improved in recent years from 260 in 2004/05 to 800 in 2011/12.
The Traveller Education Advisory and Consultative Forum of my Department is currently working to a thematic approach to address the core issues of attendance, attainment, and retention of young Travellers in education.
The Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy recommends that the development of community initiatives aimed at Travellers as education workers be considered and that any such initiative would require clarity of role vis-à-vis existing services such as the School Completion Programme and the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) and should only be pursued in a co-ordinated manner with other relevant state agencies.
The School Completion Programme and the Home School Community Liaison scheme, now under the management of the National Education Welfare Board come within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.
115. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address the delay in a new building for a school (details supplied) in County Dublin that has been in prefabs since 1995 and who had expected to be in a new building since 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42186/13]
View answer211. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) may expect new buildings in view of the fact that they have been in prefabs since 1995; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41961/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 211 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that it is my Department's intention to provide improved acccommodation for the school to which he refers. It is intended that the school will be accommodated in a school building currently occupied temporarily by a special school pending the construction of a permanent school building for the latter. This permanent building is listed on the Five Year Construction Plan with a view to proceeding to construction in 2014/15. The building project for the special school is progressing as quickly as possible and is at an advanced stage of the architectural planning process.
For the Deputy's information, in July 2010, the school to which he refers was approved funding of over €164,000 to upgrade existing services and accommodation which will have assisted with improving the school's current environment.
116. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the level of support currently provided to persons to pursue level 9 third level courses; if he intends to introduce a State loan scheme to assist prospective students to finance further education after completing a primary degree. [41822/13]
View answerThose who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant under the Student Grant Scheme will be eligible to have their post-graduate tuition fees paid up to the maximum fee limit of €6,270. Currently maintenance support is not available for students entering postgraduate courses.
To qualify for the special rate of grant an applicant must meet the following conditions:1. Reckonable income must not exceed €22,703.
2. On the 31st December of the relevant period the reckonable income must include an eligible long-term social welfare payment prescribed under the scheme. A postgraduate student may qualify to have a €2,000 contribution made towards the costs of their fees. The income threshold for this payment is €31,500 for the 2013/14 academic year, increasing relative to the number of family dependents. Tax relief is also available on postgraduate tuition fees. Details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners. In addition to this, the Student Assistance Fund will continue to be made available through the access offices of third-level institutions to assist students in exceptional financial need. I have no plans at present to introduce a loan scheme for postgraduate students. A number of financial institutions offer loans to assist students with costs associated with their studies. Following discussions with my Department, with support and advice from the National Treasury Management Agency, a specific loan initiative was introduced by Bank of Ireland in 2012 to provide finance for fees and living costs for postgraduate students.
117. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reasons for the removal of the DEIS rural category for a school (details supplied) in County Dublin, which has pressures that would traditionally be associated with a disadvantaged school; the steps he will take to deal with the particular pressures being experienced in the area as a result of poor planning and housing decisions. [42121/13]
View answerFollowing an independent identification process in 2005, 875 schools were selected for inclusion in DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools).
The school to which the Deputy refers was not deemed to have a sufficient level of disadvantage to qualify for inclusion in DEIS and therefore was never classified as a DEIS school.
A review mechanism was put in place in 2006 to address the concerns of schools that did not qualify for inclusion in DEIS but regarded themselves as having a level of disadvantage which was of a scale sufficient to warrant their inclusion in the programme. No application for review was received from this school.
There are supports available to all children, from low-income families and families experiencing financial hardship, whether DEIS or non-DEIS schools. These include the School Books Grant scheme, which is administered by my Department and aims to support parents in meeting the cost of school books, and the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, to help meet the cost of uniforms and footwear for students, which is administered by my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection.
Additional support is provided for schools with high concentrations of pupils that require language support. Further additional temporary support may be provided to schools that have significant concentrations of pupils that require language support on the basis of appeal to the Independent Staffing Appeal Board.
118. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will make a commitment to protect the maintenance grant and its qualification criteria at current levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42199/13]
View answerThere was no change in Budget 2013 to any of the student grant rates including the non-adjacent or adjacent rates of grant, or the higher special rate of grant, for the 2013 financial year.
As the Deputy will be aware, the reality of our economic situation presents significant challenges that have to be reconciled with limitations on public resources. This is a very stark reality, which, unfortunately, means that changes to any public service, including the student grant scheme, cannot be ruled out.
I empathise with students and I am very conscious of the fundamental role played by the student grant scheme in supporting families who are putting their children through further and higher education. However, the state of the public finances is such that tough decisions had to be made to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run.
For this reason it is the responsibility of Government to take into consideration all areas of public services when formulating Budget 2014. Ultimately, our budgetary decisions now will play a major part in creating a sustainable economy and in regaining our economic independence. As the Deputy will be aware all proposals made in relation to education expenditure, including changes to student grants, will be considered in the context of the Budget 2014.
120. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way he will maintain the quality of school buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42257/13]
View answerI wish to assure the Deputy that my Department is committed, subject to available resources, to providing the highest standard of permanent accommodation for all schools.
The Deputy will be aware that the 5 year School Investment Plan announced in March 2012, provides for a €2 billion school capital investment programme, of which over €1.5 billion is being allocated to the funding of major school building projects, with the balance needed for the additional accommodation scheme, the prefab replacement initiative, the Emergency Works Scheme and the acquisition of sites. The Plan outlines the major school projects that are planned to proceed to construction over the duration of the Plan. The primary aim at the core of the Five Year Plan is focussed on meeting demographic demands to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to cope with increasing pupil numbers.
Further to the Five Year Plan, my Department is committed to publishing a detailed annual programme in relation to individual major school projects commencing construction. In December 2011, details of 56 major school building projects to commence construction in 2012, the first year of the Plan, were published. In December 2012, details of 50 major school building projects were announced to commence construction in 2013, the second year of the Plan.
Details of the building projects to commence construction in 2014 will be announced later on this year. In addition, the allocation of further funding under the Government's "investment in Infrastructure & Jobs" package, announced in June this year, will enable a further 28 school projects, providing state of the art classrooms and facilities, to be progressed to construction.
The Deputy will also be aware of the biggest initiative ever undertaken to reduce the reliance on rented prefabs in schools.. Under the Prefab Replacement initiative 2012 (Phase 1), my Department provided funding of in excess of €42 million for the replacement of over 458 prefab units in 170 schools with permanent accommodation. A further €15 million has been allocated under Phase II of the Prefab Replacement Initiative, that was announced in June this year, for the replacement of over 115 prefab units in 46 schools. This funding will be used to replace prefabs with permanent classroom and resource rooms accommodation.
Details of all school capital works funded by my Department may be viewed on my Department website and this is updated on a regular basis.
