Written Answers Nos. 194-201
194. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to reduce the school class size at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 13; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43492/14]
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. My main priority for any additional resources for the foreseeable future will be to cater for the continuing increase in demographics at all levels in the education system. We have a growing population of young people in this country and despite the difficult financial circumstances we face as a country, we prioritised education so that the number of teachers we have in the system has also grown in order to protect existing pupil teacher ratios. There were a thousand more teachers employed in schools around the country in the last school year, than there was the year before. There will be a further increase of circa 1,300 teachers in the current school year. At primary level the staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. The configuration of classes and the deployment of classroom teachers are done at local school level. The national average class size at primary level is 24.7 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.
195. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to a school (details supplied) in Dublin 3; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43504/14]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, schools are required to pay for a range of utilities such as electricity, gas etc. and water is but one of these. In relation to water, the Deputy may also be aware that schools have been subject to metered water charges imposed by Local Authorities since 1 January 2010. The capitation grant is the main funding mechanism for schools to enable them meet their day to day running costs including the costs of utilities. In relation to the charging of fees, the position is that apart from those recognised fee-charging second level schools, recognised primary and post primary schools are precluded from charging school fees. 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. The manner in which contributions are sought and collected is a matter for each school management; however their collection should be such as not to create a situation where either parents or pupils could reasonably infer that the contributions take on a compulsory character.
196. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a reply will issue to correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43506/14]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that changes to the School Transport Scheme have generated an increase in the number of queries and representations to my Department and when combined with the routine administrative work undertaken within my Department in relation to school transport provision generally, regrettably, it was not feasible to deal with the increased volume of representations in a more timely manner. In relation to the correspondence in question, the purpose of my Department's Post primary School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest education centre. Changes to the Scheme were announced in Budget 2011 and were derived from recommendations contained in the Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme. The main change to the Post Primary scheme means that from the commencement of the 2012/13 school year, school transport eligibility for all pupils newly entering a post primary school is being determined by reference to the distance they reside from their nearest Post-Primary Education Centre having regard, as heretofore, to ethos and language. It makes economic sense that the provision of school transport to the nearest school will reduce the overall cost of providing these services and I have no plans to review the current eligibility criteria. The terms of the School Transport Schemes are applied equitably on a national basis.
197. Deputy Eamonn Maloney asked the Minister for Education and Skills in relation to teachers' continuing professional development, the total spend by her Department on teacher CPD in 2014; if this spending is categorised as primary and as post-primary; the proportion this spending is of the total primary and post-primary budgets respectively; the main activities funded through this spending; and her plans to ensure that CPD is provided at an adequate level for teachers. [43508/14]
View answerMy Department will spend approximately €44 million on teacher CPD in 2014, including salary and substitution costs across the primary and post primary sectors. The teacher CPD budget represents 0.76% of my Department's overall budget for first and second level - almost 6% when salary and pension costs are excluded. The programme of CPD provided addresses a range of priorities such as facilitating the implementation of new and revised syllabi, new programmes and other changes in schools designed to increase the relevance of programmes, promote retention of students, update knowledge, develop school management expertise, meet special educational and learning support needs and support the development of educational and vocational guidance. Some of the main areas of committed expenditure are the Professional Development Service for Teachers, an Induction Programme for Newly Qualified Teachers, Health and Wellbeing, Special Education Support Service, Junior Cycle Reform and Project Maths. Other areas of expenditure include the Child Abuse Prevention Programme (Stay Safe), Boards of Management Training, Teacher Fee Refund Scheme, Teacher Professional Networks, the National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) and a number of post graduate programmes. The Teaching Council intends to develop a national framework for CPD and has begun preparation for this work.
198. Deputy Eamonn Maloney asked the Minister for Education and Skills the current primary school average class size by size of school, from one teacher to 16 teacher schools, stating the number of schools in each of these categories. [43509/14]
View answerAverage class size is not readily calculated by teacher size of school. Below is a link to a spreadsheet that shows the number of pupils in each mainstream class and the number of mainstream class teachers for each primary school. Data refer to 2013/14 school year. The 2014/15 National School Annual Census is currently ongoing. http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Data-on-Individual-Schools/Class-Size-2013-2014.xls
199. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the school building project in Ashbourne, County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43538/14]
View answerThe school building project referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department's 5 year Construction Programme. A planning application was lodged in August and my Department is currently liaising with the Local Authority regarding a Request for Further Information which was subsequently issue by the Local Authority.
200. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the details of school bus routes that exist between two areas (details supplied) in County Kildare; if there is no established route at present, her plans for this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43603/14]
View answerUnder the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for 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. 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, pick up/set down points and timetables are planned on the basis of the locations of children who are eligible for school transport only. In this regard Bus Éireann has advised that there are school transport services operating from the area in question; details of these are available from the local Bus Éireann office in Dublin at 01 8302222.
201. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding private schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43614/14]
View answerIn the 2012/2013 school year 96.9 million euros was paid in salary to teachers employed in fee charging post primary schools.
The teachers in question, whose salaries are paid from monies voted by the Oireachtas, are members of the contributory pension scheme for teachers administered by my Department. These teachers pay pension contributions and pension related deductions (PRD) by deduction from salary and accrue pension entitlements in respect of the period of employment.
