Written Answers Nos. 261-280
261. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the methodology employed and-or its agencies in measuring intelligence quotient in the context of assessing primary school teaching; if his Department considers that the accepted international methodology involves the bell curve; if his Department's procedures incorporate the bell curve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2801/14]
View answerTeachers and psychologists use a variety of test instruments to assess the cognitive ability of pupils in primary schools. These instruments are based on the statistical premise of the bell-curve representation of the distribution of cognitive ability across a representative sample.
IQ testing is not used to assess teaching in primary schools. While the quality of teaching might affect student IQ, it is only one of a number of such factors and it would be difficult, if not impossible, to attribute cause and effect to any one factor.
262. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the means assessment used by Student Universal Support Ireland for self-employed persons; the reason net income is not the basis of the eligibility decision; the reason no deduction for interest on borrowings which fund the fixed assets of a business is allowed for in means assessment; the action that can be taken to assist persons (details supplied) who have been denied a grant from SUSI on the ground of their parents’ means, despite their parents being granted financial assistance by the Department of Social Protection due to their limited income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2805/14]
View answerOfficials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the students referred to by the Deputy have been refused a grant on the grounds that reckonable income was over the limit.
Grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period.
The assessment of income from the same starting point is deemed to be fair and reasonable because this approach eliminates any distortion which might arise from different spending decisions in different households.
In accordance with Article 23 of the Student Grant Scheme no allowance is made for any deduction for capital expenditure, regardless of how it is treated for income tax purposes.
I understand that the applicant appealed the original decision to the SUSI appeals officer who turned down the appeal.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board. The relevant appeal form is available to download from http://www.studentfinance.ie/downloads/1375344221/2013_SGAB_appeal_form.pdf.
263. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there has been a recent change in policy for the reasonable allocation scheme. [2810/14]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme are available for downloading from their website: www.examinations.ie/candidates/reasonableaccommodations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
266. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress to date in the determination of whether a school (details supplied) in County Kildare will be included in the schools building programme in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2831/14]
View answerThe Major Building Project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of Architectural Planning.
The Board of Management and their Design Team have finalised the Stage 2A report and submitted it to my Department for review. Following this review and subject to no issues arising the project will be authorised to proceed to Stage 2(b) which includes obtaining the necessary statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents.
This project was included on the 5 year construction programme to proceed to Tender and construction in 2014/15. The Deputy will be aware that I recently announced the 2014 specific programme of 70 major projects to proceed to construction this year. The project for the school referred to by the Deputy was not sufficiently advanced to include it in that announcement.
When the stage 2(b) submission for the project has been received and assessed my Department will then be in touch with the school authority regarding the potential progression of the project to tender and construction at that time.
267. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will authorise the extension of a national school bus route (details supplied) in the mornings, with the agreement of Bus Éireann and the bus operator, to extend this service at no extra cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2832/14]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally. Routes are planned so that, as far as possible, no eligible child will have more than 2.4 kilometres to travel to a pick-up point. Children living off the main route of a service are generally expected to make their own way, or to be brought to convenient pick-up points along the main route. Home pick-ups were never envisaged as being part of the Primary School Transport Scheme as the cost involved on a national level would be prohibitive.
Bus Éireann has advised that eligible children who avail of the service in question have a service within the guidelines of the scheme. Accordingly, there are no proposals to change the current service, notwithstanding the fact that Bus Éireann has confirmed that there would be additional cost in doing so.
268. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which children with special needs continue to receive an adequate degree of services in view of the importance of ensuring that such children are given a reasonable chance in a very competitive climate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2909/14]
View answer269. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he remains satisfied regarding the adequacy of resources available to his Department to meet the educational requirements of children with special needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2910/14]
View answer276. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he is satisfied regarding the adequacy of number of special needs teachers and special needs assistants available throughout the educational sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2917/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 268, 269 and 276 together. The Deputy will be aware that this Government is committed to the protection of frontline services for pupils with special educational needs. The level of resources devoted to supporting children with Special Educational Needs has been maintained and increased for this school year. The provision now includes 10,745 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs), over 10,700 Learning Support and Resource Teachers, provision for over 740 Special Classes attached to mainstream schools at reduced pupil teacher ratios, enhanced capitation for special schools and special classes and provision for special transport arrangements and assistive technology support. The policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs should be included in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. All schools and all school places are therefore available for children with special educational needs to be enrolled to. Supports will continue to be allocated to schools to support pupils with special educational needs. In circumstances where children with special educational need require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are also available. 740 Special Classes are being provided for mainstream schools for the current school year. This includes 118 new special classes which have been opened this year. The Deputy will be aware that the previous Government capped the number of SNA posts at 10,575 in December 2010. In December 2013, this Government agreed to increase the cap on SNAs by 390, increasing by 170 posts to 10,745 at the end of 2013, and by a further 220 posts to 10,965 at the end of 2014. These additional posts provided will enable the National Council for Special Education to continue to allocate support to children who need it in order that they may fully participate in and benefit from their education. The Deputy will also be aware of my decision last June to authorise the NCSE to maintain the level of resource teaching allocations to be provided for students with special educational needs for the current school year to the 2012/13 levels. This decision resulted in the subsequent allocation of an additional 455 posts in October to maintain resource teaching provision at the same levels as last year. The level of investment being provided will ensure that provision can continue to be made to provide for the educational requirements of children with special educational needs, enrolled in all schools, to ensure that children with special educational needs can continue to have access to educational facilities in line with their requirements.
270. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of new school building projects under way; the number of expected starts at primary and second level throughout 2014; the number of extra school places likely to become available in the course thereof; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2911/14]
View answerThere are currently 44 major school projects on site. A further 124 major projects have been given approval to commence construction and are due to start on site this year. When all of these projects have been completed this will result in excess of 65,000 quality school places being provided. Details of all major school projects approved to commenced construction are available on my Department's website and is updated on a regular basis.
272. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which school place requirements, at primary and second level, have been fully identified to date; if any particularly sensitive areas in this regard have been identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2913/14]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, in June 2011, I announced that some 40 new schools are to be established up to 2017 to cater for increasing demographics across a number of locations. Many of these schools have commenced operation and plans are advanced to establish the remainder.
The Forward Planning Section of my Department will continue to analyse demographic trends and to monitor enrolments in all areas to determine the level of additional school provision which will be required into the future.
273. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the degree to which the primary and second level curriculum continues to focus on the need to cater for the requirements of modern commerce and industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2914/14]
View answerThe Framework for Junior Cycle which is to be implemented from 2014, acknowledges the key role of entrepreneurship. In its principles the framework highlights the role of "creativity and innovation". There are 24 statements of learning which specify what students should know, understand, value and be able to do at the end of junior cycle. A number of the statements are relevant to enterprise but one in particular emphasises that the students "should take initiative, be innovative and develop entrepreneurial skills". In senior cycle, there are opportunities to develop entrepreneurial skills through, for example, the Leaving Certificate Business Studies course or through participation in the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme Links modules and in the Leaving Certificate Applied. For Transition Year students there is the opportunity to participate in the Sean Lemass Awards that include the Transition Year Mini Company and its "Get up and Go" competition and the County/ City Enterprise Board "Student Enterprise " Competition. In 2013, almost 16,000 students participated in the Student Enterprise competitions. Literacy and numeracy are among the most important life skills that our schools teach. No child should leave school without having mastered these skills to the best of their abilities. Literacy and numeracy skills are crucial to a person's ability to develop fully as an individual, to live a satisfying and rewarding life and to participate fully in our society. The Programme for Government makes clear that the Government is determined that all young people will leave school able to read, communicate orally, in writing and in digital media, and able to understand and use mathematics in their everyday lives and in further learning. Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life sets out how we will work to achieve these crucially important goals over the period to 2020. It sets ambitious targets and describes the actions that we must take to improve the teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy. I am committed to our young people developing entrepreneurial skills and a number of initiatives, as noted above, are in place to make this a reality.
274. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which the transition year programme continues to be used as a way to give opportunities to students to gain useful experience likely to positively impact on their career choice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2915/14]
View answerThere are currently a significant number of initiatives which support enterprise in schools. In senior cycle students taking not only the Transition Year option but also the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and the Leaving Certificate Applied are provided with specific opportunities to acquire enterprise skills. These programmes place a strong focus on active learning, community-based approaches, personal development and teamwork. Students also engage in work experience. In addition, enterprise is part of the Business syllabus in second level schools.
For Transition Year students there is the opportunity to participate in the Sean Lemass Awards that jointly include the Transition Year Mini Company and its "Get up and Go" competition along with the County/ City Enterprise Board "Student Enterprise " Competition. In 2013, almost 16,000 students participated in the Student Enterprise competition.
I am committed to our young people developing entrepreneurial skills and a number of initiatives, as noted above, are in place to make this a reality. I am also emphasising the role of enterprise in the Junior Cycle by seeking to ensure that each student "takes initiative, is innovative and develops entrepreneurial skills".
275. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he continues to liaise with smaller denominational urban and rural schools, with particular reference to the need to recognise their ethos and ensure that commitments previously entered into or understandings reached over generations continue to be recognised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2916/14]
View answerOur current configuration of small primary schools has been examined by my Department in a value for money review, which I am considering in consultation with my Government colleagues. There are many aspects to be considered in regard to school provision, apart from pupil enrolment. Among them are questions such as availability of diversity of provision, ethos of schools, parental choice, language of instruction, pupil travel distances, transport costs and the impact of schools on dispersed rural communities. I am mindful of the concerns of small schools and will take them into account in considering any planning framework for future provision of schools.
277. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he continues to be in a position to maintain a reasonable pupil-teacher ratio in all schools throughout County Kildare; if his attention has been brought to particular areas under pressure in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2918/14]
View answerThe Statistics section of my Department's website contains information relating to pupil teacher ratio (PTR) at primary and second level. Pupil Teacher Ratio in respect of all schools is only available at national level and not disaggregated by county or any other variable. The most recent statistics are for the 2012/13 school year. The national average class size is 24.7 pupils. However, with over 20,800 classes in over 3,100 primary schools throughout the country there will always be variations in class sizes at individual school level. The Government has protected frontline services in schools in the recent budget and there will be no reduction in teacher numbers in primary schools and in free second level schools for the 2014/15 school year as a result of the budget. The DEIS scheme for disadvantaged schools is also fully protected with no overall changes to staffing levels or funding as a result of the budget. Teacher allocations are approved annually in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. Staffing arrangements at primary and post primary level for the 2014/15 school year will be published on the Department website shortly. The allocation processes at both primary and post primary level also include an appeals mechanism under which schools can appeal against the allocation due to them under the staffing schedules. The Appeal Boards operate independently of the Department and their decisions are final.The final staffing position for all schools at primary and post primary level will ultimately not be known until the Autumn. At that stage the allocation process will be fully completed and any appeals to the Staffing Appeal Boards will have been considered.
279. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number and location of applications for new schools from school authorities throughout County Kildare awaiting sanction in his Department, at primary and second level; when he expects them to proceed; the extent to which the requirements as set out by the various school authorities are being met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2920/14]
View answer280. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number and locations of applications for extension, improvement or upgrading works in respect of primary and second level schools throughout County Kildare awaiting sanction in his Department; the number of school places likely to be affected; when he expects such applications to be approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2921/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 279 and 280 together. The current status of all projects, may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie and this will be updated regularly throughout the year. The Deputy will be aware that the five year construction plan, that I announced on 9 March 2012, outlines the major school projects that will commence 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.
Given the need to meet demographic growth, the delivery of new schools, together with extension projects, to meet future demand will be the main focus of the Department's budget for the coming years. In this context, it is not possible to indicate at this point when individual building projects will be progressed. My Department will however consider applications by schools for funding for additional classrooms where an immediate enrolment need is arising. I wish to also advise the Deputy that commensurate with the level of funding available for the Summer Works Scheme, applications are currently being assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the governing circular letter for the scheme. This circular letter (59/2013) is available on my Department's website www.education.ie. It is my intention to publish a list of successful applicants in early 2014.
