Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2015
517. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide a list of the names, roll numbers and locations of all the schools that indicated to her Department, in respect of the 2012 Lifeskills study, that they were not implementing the Stay Safe programme; and the interaction her Department has had with these schools since then with a view to ensuring 100% implementation of the programme. [5797/15]
View answerThe results of the 2012 'Lifeskills' survey, which were published by my Department in January 2014, indicate that approximately 99% of respondent primary schools have a 'Stay Safe' programme in place. This represents an increase in four percentage points since the previous Lifeskills survey in 2009.
The findings from the 2012 survey also indicate that 100% of respondent primary schools support their pupils to develop the skills of identifying and responding to unsafe situations, know when and how to seek help, and to say no to keeping secrets. A similar response was achieved through the Lifeskills survey in 2009.
The validity of the findings from the Lifeskills survey is contingent on school principals completing the relevant questionnaire as honestly and accurately as possible. The integrity of this process would be compromised if responses given by school principals were used to target particular schools. My Department uses the findings from the Lifeskills survey to develop appropriate policy responses that are aimed at all schools, rather than targeting individual schools.
The Lifeskills survey is conducted every 3 years. I will be launching the next Lifeskills survey in the next month. This will allow for the measurement of progress made by schools since 2012.
