Written Answers Nos. 1383-1411
1383. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding progress in respect of a school building project (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34013/14]
View answerThe school building project referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department's 5 year construction programme. The project is currently at an early architectural planning stage which involves the development of design drawings. When this process is complete a meeting will be arranged with the school authority to provide an update on the design and the remaining stages of the architectural planning process.
My officials are liaising with the school authority which is aware of the current position with regard to the project.
1384. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total spend by her Department on repairing primary school prefabs in Naas, County Kildare, for the new school year 2014-15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34022/14]
View answer1385. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason her Department has spent considerable money repairing existing prefabs and providing two new prefabs to a school (details supplied) in County Kildare instead of utilising the empty school on Craddockstown Road, Naas, County Kildare; the reason the school on Craddockstown Road, Naas, is not being used; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34023/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1384 and 1385 together.
Funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme for repairs to Department owned prefabs that were damaged during the storms earlier this year at the school referred to by the Deputy has recently been approved. As a contract to have these works carried out has not been awarded, the amount of funding provided is commercially sensitive and cannot be disclosed yet. The School Authority were also sanctioned funding for two additional prefabricated units to cater for increased enrolments.
These works are necessary at the school in question as it is intended that the school building on Craddockstown Road will be utilised for alternative school provision.
1386. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills in respect of the reference to ethos in the school transport scheme, second level, the reason for the use of the term "ethos" in the context of religious denomination; if a community school under the patronage of the local education and training board is deemed to be a Catholic school with an ethos equivalent to a school the patron of which patron is a specific Catholic body; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34062/14]
View answerUnder the terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
In relation to school transport provision, ethos relates to religious ethos and is in the context of provision for minority religions.
Community Schools are generally under the joint-trusteeship of the local Education Training Board and a specified religious body or bodies. Under their Deeds of Trust, the Community Schools are required to cater for all pupils in the community regardless of their faith background.
1387. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the persons she will appoint to the advisory group on early years education; the date on which the group will be established; and the date on which the group will report back to her. [34064/14]
View answerMy intention is to establish an advisory group on early years education later on this year.
This advisory group will have representatives from relevant stakeholders, parents, non-governmental organisations, and statutory agencies.
I don't see the advisory group as having a role in producing a report on early years education. The group will, instead, be convened as required, to ensure that the impact of Government policy decisions on the early years sector are fully considered and that early years education is further integrated into the overall education continuum.
1388. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of places in third level institutions; and the number of these places reserved for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. [34065/14]
View answerThe Higher Education Authority's Key Facts and Figures report records 41,413 full-time undergraduate, new entrants, to 28 higher education institutions in 2012/13.
Seventeen institutions allocate reserved places to students from disadvantaged backgrounds through the HEAR (Higher Education Access Route) scheme. Since 2010 this scheme has operated on a national basis, as part of the annual CAO process. In 2012/13 2,012 full-time undergraduate students, from disadvantaged backgrounds, entered participating higher education institutions through the HEAR scheme.
In addition, in 2012/13, there were also local schemes in a number of Institutes of Technology (CIT, WIT, Sligo, Tralee, Tallaght, Carlow, Galway) which supported the allocation of approximately 370 places to school-leavers from disadvantaged backgrounds.
1389. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a new school building for a school (details supplied) in County Galway. [34066/14]
View answerThe project to which the Deputy refers, recently progressed to Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design which includes the application for planning permission and the preparation of tender documents.
Due to competing demands on the 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 include this project in the 5 year construction programme announced in March 2012.
School building projects, including the project referred to by the Deputy, which have been initiated but not included in the current five year construction programme will continue to be progressed to final planning stages in anticipation of the possibility of further funds being available to the Department in the future.
1390. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide, in tabular form, information on the number of schools still holding classes in prefabricated buildings; and the dates on which this will no longer be practice for these schools. [34067/14]
View answerMy Department does not hold information on the numbers of pupils in individual schools who currently occupy prefabs; this depends on the organisation of class groups by schools within available accommodation and may vary from year to year.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the overall policy goal of my Department is to ensure the highest standard of permanent accommodation for all schools. In the context of a rapidly increasing school population, my Department's priority is to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and in this regard, it is sometimes necessary to make use of temporary accommodation in order to meet the accommodation needs of schools.
1391. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to increase the percentage of graduates working in early years education from 12% to 60% in accordance with the European Commission study, Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care. [34068/14]
View answerThe minimum qualification requirement for early years practitioners is currently confined to those working in early years settings that are participating in the Early Years Care and Education (ECCE) scheme. The ECCE scheme is funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.
Under the ECCE scheme payment of the standard capitation rate is currently contingent on the preschool leader having a Level 5 major award as a minimum qualification requirement. This minimum requirement is being increased to a Level 6 Award from this month onwards for new services registering with the Child and Family Agency. Services already contracted with the Agency have until September 2015 to meet the requirement. The minimum requirement for the payment of the higher capitation rate is that the 'preschool leader' possesses a major award at Level 7 on the NFQ in ECCE.
I recently announced a major review of education and training programmes that lead to qualifications in early years care and education. This review is intended to assess the extent to which graduates of such programmes are equipped with the type of essential skills and competences that have been identified in the CORE report.
1392. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the development of a new school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34074/14]
View answerThe project to which the Deputy refers is included in my Department's five year building programme to proceed to Tender and Construction in 2015/16.
The Design Team has been appointed and are working on the early stages of architectural planning. The design team appointed were the winners of the post-primary school design competition held in 2012.
1393. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will indicate policy changes relating to the preschool curriculum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34080/14]
View answerMy Department already has a curriculum framework in place for early childhood education. This framework, Aistear, is designed to work with the great variety of curriculum materials already in use in early childhood settings, e.g. Montessori, Steiner, Reggio Emilia. My Department will continue to support the Aistear Framework and at my Department's behest, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment are developing a practice guide to distil the core elements of Aistear and Síolta. This practice guide should be available for use in the early years sector in the next 6 months.
1394. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the measures she has taken to encourage preschools to notify parents of details relating to the curriculum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34082/14]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the majority of support and funding for preschool provision is provided by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. My Department works closely with the D/CYA on improving educational outcomes for young children in preschool settings and that work has included the development of Aistear, the Curriculum Framework for Early Childhood Education. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment developed Aistear and as part of the dissemination produced tip-sheets for parents. These tip sheets were widely disseminated and available in all early years settings and are available on the NCCA's website.
1395. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to encourage schools to provide alcohol and drug awareness programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34083/14]
View answerThe programme for government, Government for National Recovery 2011-2016, requires that learners get ample opportunities to explore substance use issues, including those related to alcohol and drugs. Schools along with parents are concerned about the well-being of the young people and of raising awareness about drug and alcohol abuse.
The provision of a Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme in our primary and post-primary schools is particularly important in this regard and now includes a new Junior Cycle short course option.
Schools have access to a number of programmes and resources that support the delivery of SPHE and increase students' awareness of well-being, including drug and alcohol issues. Examples include the "Walk Tall" Programme for primary pupils and a post-primary resource available from the Professional Development Service for Teachers, called "On My Own Two Feet".
The Department hopes to glean further advice on education about substance use from the recently published Report of the Working Group on Educational Materials for use in SPHE in Post- Primary Schools and Centres of Education.
1396. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to remove the prescriptive enrolment policies used by secondary schools and replace them with a standardised enrolment policy to be implemented by all public secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34084/14]
View answerThe Deputy may be aware that Government gave approval in March of this year for drafting the Education (Admissions to Schools) Bill 2014 and drafting is currently underway.
The objective of the Admissions to School Bill is to provide an over-arching framework to ensure that how schools decide on who is enrolled and who is refused a place in schools is more structured, fair and transparent.
A key objective in designing the framework is to create greater confidence for parents that the admission criteria laid down by schools are legitimate, reasonable and fair.
1397. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding pupils from Educate Together primary schools who have applied for free transport to their nearest recognised Educate Together post-primary school in the context of a school (details supplied) in County Louth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34098/14]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
The school transport scheme as it has operated at second level has a very restrictive approach to providing transport to other than the nearest school on the grounds of ethos. To provide transport in the circumstances set out by the Deputy would represent a significant change to the operation of the scheme with potentially wide ranging cost and other implications.
Given this fact, I have asked officials to consider this matter in its wider context and to revert to me in due course with their analysis. That said, the present position remains that I am unable to accede to the request for eligibility for transport provision in this case.
1398. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she will take to deal with cases where schools demand the compulsory use of iPads in view of the fact that parents cannot afford this cost, which, in some instances, means that children are unable to enrol in their local schools. [34099/14]
View answerThe decision to use tablet devices is a matter for the Board of Management of a school. Where the introduction of new technology is planned, it is advisable that there should be consultation with members of the school community including parents. The cost and other implications must be fully considered by the Boards of Managements before a decision is made.
An advice sheet on the adoption of tablets in schools is available on the PDST-Technology in Education (PDST-TIE) website. The PDST TIE promotes and supports the integration of ICT into teaching and learning for schools. This advice sheet covers areas such as what tablets can offer a school, educational considerations, purchasing considerations and software.
A new digital strategy for teaching and learning in schools is under development at present and the use of new technologies will be considered again in this context.
1399. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the statutory grants or scholarship available to an Irish resident who wishes to study for a postgraduate qualification in a foreign third level institution and where no course of study leading to the qualification is available here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34124/14]
View answerThe student grant scheme does not extend to postgraduate courses pursued outside of Ireland.
However, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is available from the Revenue Commissioners on www.revenue.ie.
1400. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to information publicised by the Irish National Teachers Organisation stating that over 90% of pupils in County Westmeath are in classes greater than the EU average of 20 and that 21.2% are in classes of 30 or more; and her plans to address same. [34130/14]
View answer1433. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address the issue of 124,363 pupils in mainstream classes of 30 or more; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34694/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1400 and 1433 together.
The primary staffing schedule currently operates on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 28 pupils, with lower thresholds for DEIS Band 1 schools. Schools have autonomy in relation to the deployment of classroom teachers to individual classes. My Department's guidance to schools is that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment etc.). School authorities are also requested, where possible, to use their autonomy under the staffing schedule to implement smaller class sizes for junior classes.
The Staffing Schedule includes the provision where schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts on developing grounds. In addition, a staffing appeals process is available to schools, including a new criterion for the 2014/15 school year which is aimed at schools which make a significant contribution to absorbing demographic growth.
The context for any discussion about class sizes is that my Department, like all other Government Departments, is operating within a budgetary programme that is designed to return the Government finances to a sustainable basis. This budgetary programme has helped Ireland to return to a position where we are seeing some economic growth. It is a continuing improvement in our economic growth that will enable us to move to a point in future budgets where we can look again at providing for additional teacher resources in schools which could bring about an improvement in PTR and class size.
In the meantime, my Department's focus is on targeting any available resources to cater for the continued increase in student numbers across primary, post-primary and third level.
1401. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a proposed school building project (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34157/14]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has been in on-going contact with the school authority, in question, in relation to the school's accommodation issues.
In that regard, I can confirm that the greenfield site assessment has been finalised and the overall Accommodation brief for a replacement school is expected to be completed shortly. When completed, the brief will be forwarded to the school authority and my Department anticipates that the project will then be progressed into the architectural planning process.
1402. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the purpose of the primary and post-primary school questionnaire 2014; her views on whether it is very difficult for school principals to complete the questionnaire in that it seeks personal information about pupils' family circumstances; the services and funding for schools the data collected will determine; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34185/14]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is currently considering potential revisions to the system of allocating Resource Teaching and Learning Support to schools. This is on foot of recommendations set out in the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Policy Advice on "Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools (May 2013) and the recommendations of the NCSE Working Group Report "A Proposed New Model for Allocating Teaching Resources for Students with Special Educational Needs" (June 2014). Both of these reports are available at www.ncse.ie.
Following the publication of these reports, my Department had advised that it would commence the process of gathering information which would be required to develop the proposed new model, to allow its impact to be assessed, and to assess if, and from when, the model could be implemented.
One of the key steps identified by the group to assist in developing a new model is the establishment of a school's educational profile based on a number of elements, including the Social Context of the School.
My Department in conjunction with the NCSE, asked the Educational Research Centre (ERC) to conduct a survey of schools to assist the development of an educational profile for each school. The purpose of this questionnaire is to assist the NCSE to create an educational profile for each school, taking into account the socioeconomic circumstances of students attending schools. The questionnaire was developed following consultations with primary and post primary school management bodies.
In writing to schools, the ERC noted that some items on the questionnaire may be difficult for schools to complete. It was noted, however, that accurate information on the socioeconomic circumstances of students in a school is crucially important in developing a reliable educational profile for that school. The use of these data to create an educational profile is supported by both national and international research.
Schools have therefore been requested to provide their best possible estimates in relation to the questions being asked in this survey. This will ensure that as accurate as possible a resource teaching allocation can be made schools in relation to the social context component of any proposed new allocation model.
Schools have also been advised that the ERC has also put in place a dedicated phone line in order to provide assistance and support to schools in completing the questionnaire.
1403. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has received any correspondence from a person (details supplied) regarding the closure or amalgamation of a school in Dublin 10; if she has received notification of their intentions for the school in June 2015; if her attention has been drawn to the projected increase in enrolment figures in that area; her plans to improve progression to third level in that area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34187/14]
View answerI can confirm for the Deputy that my Department has not received correspondence from the person in question relating to the proposed amalgamation of the school to which he refers. My Department is however aware that the Archdiocese has initiated a consultation process locally to help guide the proposed amalgamation process. My Department understands that arising from this process, the wishes of parents' to postpone any amalgamation until 2015 were accepted.
The Forward Planning Section of my Department is currently analysing demographic demand nationally to identify areas, including the area in question, where additional school accommodation may be required in the future.
A new National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education is currently being developed by the Higher Education Authority in consultation with my Department. The Plan (2014 – 2017) is being developed within the context of the key objective for higher education - to promote access for disadvantaged groups and to put in place coherent pathways from second level education, from further education and other non-traditional entry routes.
1404. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to include coding and software development in the ICT curriculum for schools. [34190/14]
View answerThe NCCA has developed a short course on "Coding" which is available to schools for their Junior Cycle programme on an optional basis from this September. Through participation in this course it is expected that students will learn core computational concepts. All the key skills in the Framework for Junior Cycle highlight the use of digital technology right across their junior cycle. The use of "technology and digital media tools to learn, communicate, work and think collaboratively and creatively in a responsible and ethical manner" is one of the statements of learning that will inform the programme being offered by schools.
In fact, the use of ICT will permeate the experiences of all Junior Cycle students as the new Framework is implemented.
Problem solving and computational thinking skills are developed in this course as students build and create software projects using their own ideas and imagination. The course looks to build on any coding skills that primary students might have experienced while offering insight into possible future studies in computer science and software engineering.
1405. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for a school transport grant in respect of a child (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34191/14]
View answerUnder the terms of the Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.Children who are eligible for school transport but for whom no service is available may, following an application process for transport within the prescribed time limits, receive a Remote Area Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements.
Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme, on behalf of my Department has advised that an application for school transport for the 2013/14 school year was not received until March 2014. Therefore, the family will only be eligible for the remote area grant from the commencement of the 2014/15 school year.
1406. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider reviewing the funding model for third level education with a view to introducing a UK-style student loan system, whereby the money would be paid back to the Exchequer from future earnings, in order to help those families which earn more than the grants threshold but which are not in a position to fund their children's college expenses. [34237/14]
View answerUnder my Department's student grant scheme, eligible students may receive funding towards maintenance provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme. In addition tax relief is available for tuition fees. Full details of this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners.
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. While developed in conjunction with the Department of Education and Skills, it is a Bank of Ireland product and further information on the terms and conditions of the loan is available from the bank.
A number of financial institutions offer loans to assist students with costs associated with their studies.
I have no plans at present to depart from the current funding model for third level education.
1407. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she considers the additional €4,830 allowance to the third level grants threshold for second or subsequent children adequate, considering the average estimated cost is more than €10,000 per year to keep a student in college. [34238/14]
View answerThe eligibility criteria for student grants including the income thresholds is reviewed annually in my Department and approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
The aim of the student grant scheme has always been to make a contribution to the cost of going to college, covering the full cost has never been a feasible option. In recognition of the additional cost to families where more than one person is attending college an increment, for each additional relevant person, can be applied to the income thresholds at the rates outlined in the student grant scheme. The maximum increment that can be applied, per relevant person, is €4,980.
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.
1408. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills regarding the sale by the National Asset Management Agency of a site at 1-6 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay to the Australian student accommodation company, Urbanest, in 2013 for approximately €7 million, the contacts persons in her Department had with NAMA employees or board members; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34272/14]
View answerThe Deputy may wish to note that Capital funding for higher education is targeted at delivering core educational facilities and my Department has no funding available for the provision of student accommodation in that context. Neither does my Department have any expertise or knowledge in relation to housing supply or housing policy in general. Therefore, my Department has not had any contact with NAMA in respect of the particular matter referred to by the Deputy.
1409. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to locate the proposed Educate Together second level school in Carrigaline, County Cork, where there is an existing Educate Together primary school, in line with the conclusions of her Department's forward planning section assessment report; if it is located outside Carrigaline, the way in which parity of access for Carrigaline Educate Together students will be ensured; when this project will commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34347/14]
View answerThe outcome of the patronage determination process for new post-primary schools for the Cork area was to establish one new school for the Cork South Suburbs area and one for the Carrigaline area to meet the demographic needs across these areas.
My Department is currently working with Cork County Council to secure sites to facilitate the schools. When sites have been secured, my Department will be in contact with the respective patrons on the locations of the individual schools and the provision of accommodation for the schools will be progressed.
1410. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that there are no further cuts to the daily running costs of schools as it could lead to closures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34359/14]
View answerThis Government has sought to protect education spending and maintain frontline education services as far as possible. However, levels of educational expenditure cannot be determined in a manner that ignores the economic reality.
Budget 2012 provided for a further reduction in capitation and related grants of 1% in 2015.
The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot at this stage anticipate any specific decisions the Government may take in the next Budget.
1411. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on learning support and resource provision at primary school level (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34400/14]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is currently considering potential revisions to the system of allocating Resource Teaching and Learning Support to schools. This is on foot of recommendations set out in the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Policy Advice on "Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools (May 2013) and the recommendations of the NCSE Working Group Report "A Proposed New Model for Allocating Teaching Resources for Students with Special Educational Needs" (June 2014). Both of these reports are available at www.ncse.ie.
Following the publication of these reports, my Department had advised that it would commence the process of gathering information which would be required to develop the proposed new model, to allow its impact to be assessed, and to assess if, and from when, the model could be implemented.
One of the key steps identified by the group to assist in developing a new model is the establishment of a school's educational profile based on a number of elements, including the Social Context of the School.
My Department in conjunction with the NCSE, asked the Educational Research Centre (ERC) to conduct a survey of schools to assist the development of an educational profile for each school. The purpose of this questionnaire is to assist the NCSE to create an educational profile for each school, taking into account the socioeconomic circumstances of students attending schools. The questionnaire was developed following consultations with primary and post primary school management bodies.
In writing to schools, the ERC noted that some items on the questionnaire may be difficult for schools to complete. It was noted, however, that accurate information on the socioeconomic circumstances of students in a school is crucially important in developing a reliable educational profile for that school. The use of these data to create an educational profile is supported by both national and international research. Schools have therefore been requested to provide their best possible estimates in relation to the questions being asked in this survey. This will ensure that as accurate as possible a resource teaching allocation can be made schools in relation to the social context component of any proposed new allocation model.
Schools have also been advised that the ERC has also put in place a dedicated phone line in order to provide assistance and support to schools in completing the questionnaire.
Should schools have any queries on how to complete the survey or with regards to the questions being asked of schools they should contact the ERc at the number provided with the survey documentation.
