Written Answers Nos 1-30
10. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a new school (details supplied) in County Longford which was approved in 2010; if her Department have been in contact with the board of management; if the site has been selected; if planning has been sought; the timeframe for the process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37877/14]
View answerI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for capital funding for a new school.
The school's request must be considered in the context of the financial constraints imposed by the need, as outlined in the Five Year Plan, to prioritise available funding for the provision of essential school accommodation to meet demographic demand. The area where the school is situated has not been identified as an area of demographic growth.
My Department's over-riding objective is to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to cope with increasing numbers. This will continue to be the main focus for investment by my Department in the coming years.
In the interim, my Department has been in contact with the school management related to the leasing arrangements for the school on its current site.
13. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the widespread concerns of boards of management and parents' associations of smaller fee-charging schools about the increase in the pupil-teacher ratio; if her further attention has been drawn to the serious impact such increases will have on such schools, particularly schools under the patronage of Protestant churches; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37967/14]
View answerThe Government's focus in recent years has been on operating a budgetary programme that is designed to return the Government finances to a sustainable basis.
I am conscious that the budget measures have impacted on all schools large and small, across all patronage types and whether or not they were precluded from charging fees or could charge them. The measures had a focus in particular in protecting as far as possible DEIS schools.
One aspect of the budgetary decisions was to increase the pupil-teacher ratio for fee-charging schools. Fee-charging schools have the resources, through fees charged, to employ teachers privately, an option which is not available to schools in the free education scheme.
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that students from a Protestant background can attend a school that reflects their denominational ethos, while at the same time ensuring that funding arrangements are in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.
15. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the progress of a school (details supplied) in County Galway on its application to build an extension and remove the prefabricated classrooms currently in use; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37947/14]
View answerI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for capital funding for an extension.
My Department is currently reviewing the accommodation brief for the school in question and in that regard will be in contact with the school authorities in the near future. It is anticipated that when the accommodation brief is finalised, the project concerned will be considered for progression into the architectural planning process.
As the Deputy will understand, due to the competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of essential additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements, it is not possible at this point to provide an indicative timeframe for the provision of an extension to the school in question.
16. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will commit to a permanent restoration of the minor works grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37962/14]
View answerAt the publication in November 2011 of the Government's Medium Term Infrastructure and Capital Investment Framework the emphasis in the education sector was focused on major school projects and smaller projects devolved to schools to meet demographic demands. Given the requirement to meet the need for additional school places over the years 2012 to 2016, it was deemed unlikely that Minor Works Grant funding would be available during that period.
However, the grant did issue to schools in November 2011 for the 2011/12 school year, and last November for the 2013/14 school year. The advice to schools which accompanied the grant to schools last November made very clear that "the grant will only be paid in future years as funding permits". I cannot yet give any commitment to restore this payment to an annual basis.
17. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills the requirements needed for primary schools currently holding a DEIS 2 status, to be upgraded to a DEIS 1 status; when the last review of the overall DEIS system took place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37946/14]
View answerThe DEIS programme is the subject of ongoing evaluation by both the Educational Research Centre and my Department's Inspectorate who have produced a series of evaluation reports to date, copies of which are available on my Department's website.
This research was also the subject of a recent research seminar entitled "Learning from DEIS" at which my predecessor Minister Ruairí Quinn announced plans to commission a further overall report in relation to DEIS to provide recommendations for a renewal of the Government's policy in relation to educational disadvantage, including DEIS. Commissioning of this report is currently underway.
A key priority in the current economic climate is to prioritise and target resources at schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage. In these circumstances the opportunities for increasing expenditure on current programmes are limited and exclude the capacity for a reclassification of schools within the DEIS programme.
18. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the implementation of the updated and comprehensive anti-bullying policy; if the inspectorate section of her Department is examining compliance by schools with the new policy; the steps being taken to ensure all schools have implemented the policy in view of the fact that they hoped the deadline was for the past school year. [37948/14]
View answerWhen the new anti-bullying procedures for schools were published, it was acknowledged that schools would need time to develop an anti-bullying policy in line with the new procedures. Accordingly the accompanying circular allowed schools a period up to last Easter to make the necessary arrangements, including consultations with the school community.
All schools should by now have completed this process. I would urge Parents' Associations to contact their school if they have not yet received a copy of the school's anti-bullying policy.
Arising from commitments made in the Action Plan on Bullying, my Department's Inspectorate is placing a stronger focus on the actions schools take to create a positive school culture and to prevent and tackle bullying. For example, parent and student questionnaires issued as part of whole school evaluations, include, since January 2014, additional questions to get a clearer picture of how the school deals with bullying. Furthermore, the Inspectorate's plan for the current school year provides for a focused evaluation to be conducted in a sample of schools to examine the school's work to create and sustain safe and healthy environments.
19. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on whether it is good policy to ask research students from the humanities to compete on an equal footing with those from economics and the sciences for funding, in particular the stress on transferable skills as a prerequisite for funding and the detrimental effects it is having on the humanities as a research area here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37945/14]
View answerCompetitive research funding available from my Department is managed by the Irish Research Council. The Council has a broad remit to support and enhance human capital development, in particular at postgraduate and early stage postdoctoral levels. Its remit covers the full range of disciplines spanning the humanities, social sciences, business, law, sciences, engineering and technology.
The Council's main postgraduate and postdoctoral schemes categorise applications from a) humanities and social sciences, and b) engineering and technology separately, and each applicant only competes with applications from a similar cohort of student. Awards are made in each category on the basis of excellence following assessment by expert independent panels, whose membership is primarily international.
20. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the high costs incurred by students undertaking Gaeltacht placements as part of third level degrees. [37918/14]
View answerI can appreciate that supporting a student through third level education can be challenging. The decision to abolish the Gaeltacht Placement grants, from September 2012, has to be viewed in the context of the prevailing requirement to reduce costs and achieve efficiencies where possible. Priority was given to protecting resources for front line education services as far as possible in the coming years, which is especially challenging with rising numbers of school-going children.
To assist with the costs of the Gaeltacht placement, students in receipt of a student grant which includes a 100% fee grant, or who would have qualified for a full fee grant but for the Free Fees Schemes, can apply for funding towards travel and accommodation costs under the field trip element of a fee grant, subject to the normal terms and conditions of the scheme.
Apart from the student grant system, in circumstances of particular need students may apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund.
I am not in a position to reinstate the funding to this area.
21. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is fully committed to previous guarantees provided on reducing class sizes as a priority in view of the extent of the reports into smaller classes having a positive effect on education, on inclusiveness and maintaining stimulation most notably at a younger age; the work being completed to achieve the goal of class sizes set previously. [37875/14]
View answerI have already stated publicly that because of increasing demographics my Department requires additional resources to simply maintain existing levels of service. Between this year and last year this has involved an increase of around 2,300 teachers.
In my pre-budget discussions with the education partners I expressed the hope that continued improvement in the economy will take us to a position where we can make improvements. However, as I have earlier noted my focus in preparing for Budget 2015 has to be to seek the funding necessary to meet this demographic growth, and not on additional spending measures such as that proposed by the Deputy. If in future years there is funding available to reduce class sizes my preference is that it would be targeted at reducing class sizes at the infant years.
22. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to concerns of parents of children in fee-charging schools that further cuts to funding in their sector in budget 2015 will jeopardise teaching jobs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37966/14]
View answerI am conscious that the budget measures in recent years have impacted on all schools large and small, across all patronage types and whether or not they were precluded from charging fees or could charge them. The measures had a focus in particular in protecting as far as possible DEIS schools. I am not in a position to engage with the Deputy on what may or may not be in next week's budget announcements.
However I have already stated publicly that because of increasing demographics my Department requires additional resources to simply maintain existing levels of service.
I do not believe it will be possible in this budget to begin any reversal of the measures that were taken during the economic crisis.
In my pre-budget discussions with the education partners I expressed the hope that continued improvement in the economy will take us to a position where we can start to make improvements in some areas.
23. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school (details supplied) in County Dublin may expect to move into the permanent building allocated by her Department, in view of the fact that parents and teachers have serious health and safety issues with regard to the temporary rooms they are currently in, especially when any further deterioration will force the school to vacate these rooms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37964/14]
View answerI wish to confirm to the Deputy that it is my Department's intention to provide improved accommodation for the school to which he refers. It is intended that the school will be accommodated in a former school building currently occupied by a special school pending the construction of a new school for the special school.
The building project for the special school is included in my Department's Five Year Construction Plan and is scheduled to proceed to tender/construction in 2014/15.
24. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 1258 of 17 September 2014, if she will provide further details regarding the manner in which the new model of allocating resources to children with special needs will be developed; when it is expected that the full and comprehensive consultation with stakeholders and education partners, including the parents of special needs children will take place. [37879/14]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education published its Report on a Proposed New Model for Allocating Teachers for Students with Special Educational Needs on 18 June 2014.
The report recommends that a new allocation model should be developed, based on a schools educational profile, while providing a baseline allocation to every mainstream school to support inclusion.
My Department is currently collecting information required to develop the proposed new model.
My Department recently invited education partners, stakeholders, and parent representative groups to make written submissions in relation to the NCSE report. 26 submissions have been received to date.
My Department also held a number of consultation meetings on 1st and 3rd October last week, with stakeholders, education partners, and parent representative groups.
The consultation process will be ongoing at each stage of the development of proposals for a new model.
25. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she review the pupil-teacher ratio for small rural schools in the upcoming budget; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37958/14]
View answerI am not in a position to engage with the Deputy on what may or may not be in next week's budget announcements. However I have already stated publicly that because of increasing demographics my Department requires additional resources to simply maintain existing levels of service.
I do not believe it will be possible in this budget to begin any reversal of the measures that were taken during the economic crisis. In my pre-budget discussions with the education partners I expressed the hope that continued improvement in the economy over a sustained period will take us to a position where we can make improvements in some areas.
26. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure schools report to her Department the level of voluntary contributions they receive from parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37919/14]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, voluntary contributions by parents are permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay and that, in making a contribution, they are doing so of their own volition. Decisions in relation to such contributions are dealt with at local school level. My Department does not require schools to report to it on the amounts involved and I have no plans to require such reporting – with 4,000 schools in our education system, doing so would seem to create a very significant administrative burden, both on schools and on the Department.
However, I believe that schools need to be accountable to parents and we need greater levels of communication, engagement and transparency in how schools serve their communities. Better information for parents, including information in relation to the collection and use of voluntary contributions, is an issue that I will be looking at in the context of my Department's work on developing plans for a Parents' and Students' Charter.
27. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills the measures she plans to take to alleviate the problem of large class sizes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37965/14]
View answerI have already stated publicly that because of increasing demographics my Department requires additional resources to simply maintain existing levels of service. Between this year and last year this has involved an increase of around 2,300 teachers in our primary and post-primary schools. This is a very significant investment at a time of scarce resources. There is no funding available for additional teachers to reduce class sizes and it is premature within our budgetary context to be looking for this to be done.
The national average class size at primary level is 24.8 pupils. However, with over 21,100 classes in over 3,100 primary schools throughout the country there will always be variations in class sizes at individual school level. My Department's guidance to local school management is that such variations should be kept to the minimum and to use their autonomy under the staffing schedule to keep classes for infants as low as possible.
28. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider a derogation to the public sector hiring embargo for education and training boards, ETBs, that are experiencing a dearth of senior and middle management posts, for example, education officers, principal officers, assistant principal officers, adult education officers and youth officers due to retirements, which is impacting negatively on the performance by ETBs of their statutory functions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29664/14]
View answerThe Deputy may be aware that a new organisational design for ETBs is being devised in order to reflect their roles. To progress this, a consultative team has been established with representatives from my Department, the ETBs and SOLAS. In January 2014, pending the conclusion of this process, my Department gave approval to 9 ETBs, which did not have an Education Officer, to appoint a temporary Education Officer on an acting basis for a period of 6 months. Those ETBs which sought an extension to this arrangement had the sanction extended to 31st December 2014. In addition, my Department approved the filling, on an acting basis, of 13 business critical vacancies at middle and senior management in 5 ETBs. These measures were undertaken with the approval of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
29. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on reform of the junior certificate, teachers correcting the junior certificate work of their own students, schools providing their own individual certification and her views in relation to the subject of history on the junior certificate curriculum. [37876/14]
View answerThe junior cycle reforms aim to bring about improved outcomes for students through, a more meaningful assessment of student ability. I have confidence in the professionalism and integrity of Irish teachers. I want to work with teacher unions to bring this about in a way that is meaningful and appropriate in an Irish context.
Some 90% of junior cycle students go on to senior cycle. The junior certificate should recognise learning at that level need not be a dry run for the leaving certificate.
In relation to history, over 90% of students choose history although it is currently compulsory in only half our schools. Curriculum choice is important in motivating students to learn and to remain in school to completion of senior cycle.
I was pleased to meet with the teaching unions in early September to hear their concerns in relation to implementation of the revised junior cycle. I look forward to meeting with them again later this month to advance those discussions further. As the Deputy will appreciate, out of respect for the process, I do not intend that this engagement should be pre-empted in a public setting.
30. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will abolish the cap on special needs assistants numbers and allocate resources based on need in accordance with the EPSEN Act 2004. [37928/14]
View answerDespite the ongoing requirement to make expenditure savings across a range of areas, expenditure in 2013 supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs was some €1.3bn or approximately 15% of the entire budget of my Department.
This year, provision is being made for up to 10,965 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs). This is an increase of 390 posts on the previous cap of 10,575 posts. In September, over 10,900 SNAs were allocated to schools.
This will ensure that all pupils who need SNA support will be able to access such support based on their care needs.
My Department recently clarified the criteria under which SNA support is allocated to schools, to support the care needs of qualifying children, in Circular 0030/2014.
Further consideration of the number of SNA posts which may be required in future years will take place as part of the forthcoming budgetary and estimates process.
