Jonathan O'Brien
Question:78. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the value of sales of school books during each of the past ten years. [24994/14]
View answerSchool Textbooks
Questions (78)
Written answers
The Department has no specific information on the size of the market annually, however one estimate from publishers' sources suggests that the Irish school book market is worth approximately €60 million per annum.
Schools Site Acquisitions
Questions (79)
Catherine Murphy
Question:79. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the engagement his Department is having with Kildare County Council and the management of a school (details supplied) in County Kildare on finding an appropriate site for a permanent new school building, now that An Board Pleanála has upheld the decision by the planning authority to refuse permission for the proposed building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24978/14]
View answerWritten answers
The school to which the Deputy refers is currently located in temporary accommodation pending the provision of a permanent school building. My officials will work with officials from Kildare County Council with regard to options available for permanent accommodation for this school. My officials have engaged with the school authority and will keep them updated as appropriate, taking into account the commercial sensitivities associated with a site acquisition process.
Apprenticeship Programmes
Questions (80)
Seán Fleming
Question:80. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision was made to introduce a fee from January 2014 up to the end of the academic year in June 2014 whereby apprentices are due to pay €833 per typical attendance block of ten weeks at an institute of technology on a pro rata basis, as other students; if apprentices are eligible for a third level grant like other students; the date on which they should have applied for this grant for the period January 2014 to June 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24984/14]
View answerWritten answers
The Annual Student Contribution is levied on apprentices and students attending Institutes of Technology. This contribution has been levied by Institutes of Technology in respect of apprentices since 2004, with FÁS/SOLAS paying 70% of the contribution and apprentices themselves paying the remainder. Following a Budget 2014 decision, SOLAS ceased making this payment to the Institutes of Technology and apprentices themselves will now pay the full pro rata Annual Student Contribution.
From January 2014 up to the end of the academic year in June, apprentices will be due to pay €833 (1/3 of €2,500) per typical attendance block of 10 weeks. The exam fee is included in this payment. Apprentices will pay the same contribution as students, apportioned for the time they spend in the Institutes. Apprentices are not eligible for grants under the Student Grant Scheme as they do not meet the funding condition of participating in an approved full-time course in an approved institution. Unlike students, apprentices are paid a training allowances by SOLAS for phases of their training spent in Institutes of Technology. This allowance is equivalent to the wages they receive from their employers for on the job phases and is unaffected by the budgetary changes.
School Enrolments Data
Questions (81)
Jonathan O'Brien
Question:81. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children attending primary school during each of the past ten years. [24986/14]
View answerWritten answers
The number of pupils at first level for the past 10 years can be found on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/SelectVarVal/Define.asp?maintable=EDA57&ProductID=DB_ED&PLanguage=0. Final data for the 2013/14 school year will be published my Department's website at the end of the June.
School Enrolments Data
Questions (82)
Jonathan O'Brien
Question:82. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children attending secondary school during each of the past ten years. [24987/14]
View answerWritten answers
The number of pupils at second level for the past 10 years can be found on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/SelectVarVal/Define.asp?maintable=EDA69&ProductID=DB_ED&PLanguage=0. Final data for the 2013/14 school year will be published on my Department's website at the end of the June.
Information and Communications Technology
Questions (83)
Jonathan O'Brien
Question:83. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children in primary school and the number of children in secondary school who used laptops and tablets instead of hard copy school books during each of the past ten years. [24988/14]
View answerWritten answers
My Department does not collate statistics on the use of tablets/ipads by schools. The use of tablets/ipads is an operational matter for each Board of Management and my Department is not involved. The Professional Service for Teachers (Technology in Education) which promotes and supports the integration of ICT in teaching and learning in schools, is available to advise schools on the adoption of tablets/ipads in schools.
Teacher Training Provision
Questions (84, 90)
Michael McGrath
Question:84. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address an important matter raised in correspondence by a principal of a national school (details supplied) in County Cork. [25016/14]
View answer
Ciaran Lynch
Question:90. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans regarding the maths recovery support scheme for DEIS schools, in particular in regard to a school (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25044/14]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 90 together.
The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) is responsible for facilitating access to training for primary teachers in DEIS schools in the Maths Recovery programme. My Department's support service, the PDST, is currently engaged with the programme provider - Maths Recovery Ireland, with a view to ensuring that the schools in question have access to continued support for the 2014/2015 school year.
School Staffing
Questions (85)
Michael McCarthy
Question:85. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reasons a school (details supplied) in County Louth was allowed to employ a second deputy principal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25036/14]
View answerWritten answers
Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website. Under these arrangements an ex-quota Deputy Principal Post is allocated to each post primary school with an enrolment of at least 500 recognised pupils (such posts are filled in-quota in smaller schools). A second ex-quota Deputy Principal post is allocated to each school with a minimum enrolment of 1,000 or more recognised pupils or in DEIS schools with a minimum enrolment of 900 or more recognised pupils. When the moratorium on the filling of posts of responsibility was introduced the Government exempted Principal and Deputy Principal posts in all primary and post-primary schools and these posts continue to be replaced in the normal manner.