Wednesday, 13 Nov 2013

Written Answers Nos. 65 - 70

Summer Works Scheme Applications

Questions (65)

Lucinda Creighton

Question:

65. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the primary and secondary schools located in Dublin 2, 4, 6, 6W and 8 that have applied for funding under the summer works scheme for each year since 2009 to date in 2013; the schools located in Dublin 2, 4, 6, 6W and 8 that were unsuccessful in their applications for each year since 2009 to date in 2013; the funding that was provided for each of the successful applicants and the funding that was sought by the unsuccessful applicants located in Dublin 2, 4, 6, 6W and 8 for each year since 2009 to date in 2013; the five most common reasons that funding was not granted to specific applicants in each year since 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48441/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The information sought is being compiled at present and will be forwarded to the Deputy shortly.

Summer Works Scheme Applications

Questions (66)

Tom Barry

Question:

66. Deputy Tom Barry asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide funding as a matter of urgency for the construction of showers at a school (details supplied) in County Cork. [48453/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I refer the Deputy to my announcement last Thursday, 7 November, to the re-introduction of the Summer Works Scheme for 2014. Funding from the Scheme will allow eligible schools to carry out small and medium scale building works that will improve and upgrade existing school buildings. It is open therefore to the school, referred to by the Deputy, to make an application if it so wishes under the scheme for the works referred to.

School Funding

Questions (67)

Tom Barry

Question:

67. Deputy Tom Barry asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason in the north Cork towns of Mallow and Fermoy funding is biased towards one particular school in each town to the detriment of the other second level schools. [48454/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I assume the Deputy is referring to the funding of schools within the second-level system. The funding arrangements made by my Department for post primary schools reflect the sectoral division of our second-level system. At the core of all arrangements is reliance upon capitation as the principal determinant of funding.

My Department provides funding to Community and Comprehensive schools on a budget basis that is based mainly on pupil numbers, but also take into account additional factors which vary from school to school such as age of buildings, size of school etc. With regard to the Education and Training Board (ETB) sector, formerly known as the VEC sector, financial allocations are made to ETBs as part of a block grant. ETBs are given a high level of autonomy in the management and appropriation of this grant and each is allowed to distribute its allocations in line with its priorities and perceptions of need.

My Department provides funding to voluntary secondary schools by way of per capita grants. The Deputy may wish to note that Circular 48/2009 clarifies issues relating to the allocation of funding to voluntary secondary schools. The circular states that capitation funding provided for general running costs and funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services may be regarded as a common grant which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities. I have no plans to amend the present funding arrangements at second level.

Disadvantaged Status

Questions (68)

Tom Barry

Question:

68. Deputy Tom Barry asked the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria that must be met to acquire DEIS status; the ongoing review system for same; and if there are procedures to remove schools from the scheme. [48455/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The underlying criteria for participation in DEIS is a school's relative level of disadvantage against all other schools therefore those schools with the highest concentration of disadvantage were selected for participation in the DEIS programme. The identification process for DEIS was in line with international best practice and had regard to, and employed, the existing and most appropriate data sources available. It was managed by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) on behalf of the Department and supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's Regional Offices and the Inspectorate. The choice of variables included in the assessment of disadvantage was guided by the definition of disadvantage in the Education Act, (1998) which refers both to learning outcomes and to social and economic factors.

In the primary sector the identification of primary schools, for participation in DEIS, was based on analysis of a survey, carried out by the ERC, of all primary schools. In the case of second-level schools, analysis of centrally-held data from the Post-Primary Pupils Database and the State Examinations Commission databases determined the identification of post-primary schools for participation in DEIS. There are no measures, within the programme, to remove schools from DEIS.

A key priority for my Department is to prioritise and target resources in schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage. To this end resources in DEIS schools have been protected, with no overall changes to DEIS-related staffing levels or DEIS funding in 2013. That challenge is significant, given the current economic climate and the target to reduce public expenditure. This limits the capacity for any additionally to the DEIS programme.

Disadvantaged Status

Questions (69)

Tom Barry

Question:

69. Deputy Tom Barry asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether it would be fairer to assess individual students rather than entire school catchment areas when determining disadvantage. [48456/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The majority of schools include among their pupils children with disadvantaged backgrounds, and in general schools address the individual needs of these children without recourse to additional targeted resources. Research carried out by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) for the Educational Disadvantage Committee found strong evidence for the proposition that the disadvantage associated with poverty and social exclusion assumes a multiplier effect when large numbers of pupils in a school are from a similar disadvantaged background (the "social context effect").

It is this principle that underpins the approach taken under DEIS "Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools" the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion which focuses on addressing the educational needs of children and young people from the most disadvantaged communities. Schools were identified for inclusion in DEIS by virtue of their identified level of disadvantage which was based on the concentration of disadvantaged pupils enrolled in individual schools. In the current economic climate the focus of my Department is to retain where possible key resources in those schools targeted under the DEIS programme supporting children most at risk of educational disadvantage.

Teachers' Remuneration

Questions (70)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

70. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry who has applied for a pension is not being recognised as a secondary teacher in view of the fact that they taught home economics for over 20 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48465/13]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Pension entitlements for teachers are determined in accordance with the relevant pension scheme. Professional registration of teachers is a separate matter. The Teaching Council is the body with statutory responsibility for the registration of teachers including the recognition of teaching qualifications. Any teacher who wishes to make enquiries regarding his/her registration status should enquire directly with the Council. The Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to intervene in individual cases.