Written Answers Nos. 444-457
444. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way she proposes to address serious concerns expressed by school principals, regarding the school profiling element of the proposed new special needs model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6787/15]
View answer445. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the National Council for Special Education and her Department have decided to move away from individualised allocations to school profiling, as an element of the new special needs resource model; when the Department of Health is planning to introduce individualised funding for children with an intellectual disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6788/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 444 and 445 together.
The Deputy will be aware that last week I announced that I am not proposing to change the way teachers are allocated to schools for children with Special Educational Needs for the coming school year.
In making this decision to retain the current model for allocating resource and learning support teachers for the coming year, I have been guided by the advice of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Working Group report, which recommended that sufficient time should be allowed for further consultation to take place with the education stakeholders before the new model is implemented in schools.
Through consultations which have already taken place, there was a broad welcome for the proposed new model from Parents, disability groups, schools and stakeholders. However, while there has been significant consultation in relation to the proposed new model, there has not been sufficient time to address fully all of the concerns which have been raised, particularly those concerns relating to the profiling of schools, in advance the September 2015 school year.
In particular, a robust mechanism for identifying children with complex special educational needs has yet to be finalised. Similarly it will be important to ensure that the concerns that successful schools continue to receive appropriate levels of support to ensure that their successes can be maintained are addressed.
The proposed new allocation model was developed following advice received from the NCSE which indicated that the current model which requires that there is a formal assessment and diagnosis in place before an allocation is provided is unfair. The advice recommended removing diagnosis as a prerequisite for receiving support. The NCSE working group provided additional advice recommending that providing support to schools based on their educational profile was the best way currently available to ensure that schools would be able to support all children with special educational needs who needed such support.
While the proposed new model is not proceeding for the coming year, it is not the case that the proposed new model would deny children access to additional support based on their individual needs. The new model proposes to provide schools with an allocation based on their school profile, from which schools can provide resources to children taking into account the individual needs of each child.
Under the current model which remain in place for the coming school year, schools will be allocated support calculated on the basis of the numbers of qualifying applications which are received by the NCSE. The current model does not entitle an individual child to a specific quantum of hours or make an individualised allocation for a children, as the totality of the allocation is made to the school for the benefit of all children with Special Educational Needs.
Work will continue in the coming months to develop the proposed new allocation model and to address the range of concerns which were identified through the consultations which have taken place so far, including the manner in which school profiles are developed.
I have asked my Department to design a pilot of the new model which schools could opt into on a voluntary basis.
Continuing consultation with stakeholders will be a vital part of the ongoing work.
446. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the Ballymun initiative for third level education. [6804/15]
View answerThe Ballymun Initiative for Third Level Education (BITE) was established in 1989 and is an initiative based in Trinity Comprehensive School, Ballymun, with the goal of supporting young people attending that school to have an equal opportunity to progress to Third Level education. BITE runs a number of programmes including study groups, extra tuition and support for specific subjects, and support in applying for higher education courses, access programmes and grants. It also makes available a number of scholarships and bursaries at both secondary school and higher education level. BITE is represented on several community groups and committees in the Ballymun area and has links with DCU and St Patrick's College, Drumcondra.
To date BITE has supported over 400 students to progress to further and higher education. Since 2012, 35 BITE-supported students have progressed to higher education and 51 have progressed to further education.
447. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 174 of 24 September 2014, in which she responded that her Department was at that time analysing the latest demographic data on a nationwide basis to determine where additional school accommodation may be needed from 2015 onwards and in which she gave an undertaking that, when that exercise had been completed, arrangements would be made to make accommodation available where it is needed, the outcome of this study in relation to the Lucan area; and the arrangements being put in place to alleviate the problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6817/15]
View answerThe nationwide demographic review at post-primary level is an extensive exercise which is on-going in my Department. It will be completed as quickly as possible.
448. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills the qualifying criteria in respect of grant aid under the student grant scheme 2014, for a non-European Union citizen, who is over 18 years of age, and has been living legally in the State for over five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6864/15]
View answerUnder the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The nationality requirements for the student grant scheme are set out in section 14 of the Student Support Act 2011 and regulation 5 of the Student Support Regulations 2014.
In all cases, to qualify for a student grant, it is the grant applicant, and not his/her parents, that must meet the nationality or prescribed immigration status requirements in their own right. The onus is on the grant applicant to provide the necessary documentary evidence as proof of their nationality or immigration status to the relevant grant awarding authority.
Article 32 of the Student Grant Scheme 2014 provides for the review of eligibility for the award of a grant in the event of changes of circumstances in the academic year, including a change in relation to a student's nationality or immigration status. This means that where a student acquires Irish citizenship by naturalisation, or is granted permission to remain provided for in the Act or Regulations during the course of their studies, he/she may apply to SUSI to have his/her application re-assessed.
449. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will confirm a matter relating to the status of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6868/15]
View answerThe criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually on the website of the Department of Education and Skills. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.
The staffing arrangements provide for a reduced enrolment required for the retention of the first and second classroom teaching post in an island school, where the school is the only remaining primary school on the island. The school referred to by the Deputy is accessible by bridge from the mainland and does not therefore have island status for the purpose of its staffing arrangements.
451. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to open applications by newly sanctioned schools (detailed supplied) in County Galway, which are now up and running, to the delivering equality of opportunity in schools scheme; her views that such schools, in disadvantaged areas, are at a disadvantage by not being able to apply for this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6885/15]
View answerGiven the current economic climate and the target to reduce public expenditure, prioritising and maintaining resources for children at risk of educational disadvantage is a significant challenge. The need to maintain existing supports for schools catering for the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage means that there is no capacity for additionality to the DEIS programme.
The DEIS programme is the subject of ongoing evaluation by the Educational Research Centre and the Inspectorate of my Department. The focus of this research is to ensure the successful implementation of DEIS and that the best possible approaches to measuring progress and outcomes at both local and national level are being used.
An overall report on the learning from DEIS is currently being prepared by the Economic and Social Research Institute. This report will incorporate information on the various inputs, processes and educational outcomes contained in the findings from the DEIS research and evaluations conducted by the Educational Research Centre and the Department's Inspectorate to date. It will also review other Irish and international related research on educational disadvantage. The report will assess the main findings of this research and provide advice to inform future policy direction on educational disadvantage, including DEIS. This report is currently being finalised and I expect to receive it shortly.
Accordingly, for the present, my focus and that of my Department is on maintaining current DEIS supports and the learning from the programme and applying it to future policy making. This will ensure that future policy direction to tackle educational disadvantage will be evidence-based and grounded in the solid body of experience provided by the DEIS programme.
452. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has had an opportunity to review correspondence (details supplied) regarding section 6 of her Department's circular 48/2014. [6911/15]
View answerThe Home Tuition scheme provides compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme also provides for children with special educational needs awaiting a suitable educational placement and for early intervention for children with autism.
In line with the terms of the scheme, parents/guardians must recruit a teacher who is qualified to teach in the sector concerned and who is registered accordingly with the Teaching Council of Ireland, similar to the requirement for teachers in schools.
Where all efforts have failed to secure the services of a teacher qualified to teach in the sector concerned, the Department may consider the engagement of a person who is registered with or whose application for registration has been accepted by the Teaching Council and has a primary degree (minimum Level 7 on the National Framework of Qualifications) in the relevant area, e.g. Psychology.
As tuition takes place outside the usual school structure it is important that home tutors are qualified to provide an educational programme. Therefore I do not intend to remove the requirement, as proposed in the details provided by the Deputy that parents must initially attempt to source a teacher qualified in the sector before requesting approval for tutors with alternative qualifications.
453. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to address the 192 applications received, for an intake of 56 infant children, in respect of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 14, for September 2015, thus denying children access to their local school; her Department's efforts to alleviate the problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6917/15]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provided a new 16 classroom school for the school in question in 2012 at a cost of approximately €3.5 million. As the Deputy will appreciate, the question of enrolment in individual schools, including the school in the area concerned, is the responsibility of the managerial authority of the school. There is a responsibility on schools to manage their own enrolment policies to ensure that they operate within the level of accommodation available to them.
The Deputy will be aware that on 5th February last, I announced that seven new primary schools are to be established in the next two years. Four are scheduled to open in 2015 and three will open in 2016. One of the schools to be established in 2016 will cater for demographic demand in the area referred to by the Deputy.
454. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the proposed start and completion dates in relation to the pending redevelopment of a college (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6953/15]
View answerThe major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of Architectural Planning. The Stage 1 report has been finalised by the relevant Education and Training Board and their Design Team and submitted to the Department for review. Following the technical review, and subject to no issues arising, the project will be authorised to proceed to Stage 2A, Develop Sketch Design.
This project is included on the programme to proceed to Construction in 2016.
455. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the level of funding that would be required to reduce the current teacher-student ratio of 1:23, in the Irish university sector to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average of 1:14. [6966/15]
View answerThe 2014 edition of the OECD's annual publication Education at a Glance reports that the ratio of academic staff to students in Irish higher education institutions is 1:19. The OECD average is 1:14 and the EU21 average is 1:16. This ratio, which was at the OECD average in 2008, has increased in recent years as a result of increasing student numbers and restrictions on staffing imposed under the Employment Control Framework. While the staff - student ratio is a widely used proxy for performance of higher education institutions and systems, it is important to note that it is only a proxy. It does not reflect class size, and it does not take account of student contact hours and wider engagement which makes international comparisons difficult. However, the deterioration in the ratio and the resultant pressure this was placing on the higher education system was one of a number of factors which led to the establishment of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education. This Group is examining the long term funding sustainability of the sector and will report to me by the end of this year.
Finally, in relation to the Deputy's specific question, there isn't a linear correlation between the student - staff ratio and the level of funding in the sector. However, I have been advised by the HEA that to bring the university sector in line with the OECD average would require an additional 2,750 academic posts. The additional salary cost is dependent on grade and could range from an estimated €88 million to €165 million based on starting salaries for assistant lecturer, college lecturer and senior lecture. The following table gives a breakdown of this calculation.
|
University grades |
Additional Staff |
Estimated Starting Salary |
Cost |
|
Asst Lecturer |
2750 |
€32,000 |
€88,000,000 |
|
College Lecturer |
2750 |
€45,000 |
€123,750,000 |
|
Senior Lecturer |
2750 |
€60,000 |
€165,000,000 |
456. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna an aontaíonn sí go raibh an Ghaeilge mar dhlúthchuid den fhís a bhí ag ceannairí an Éirí Amach in 1916 don tsochaí chomhpháirteach a bhí siad ag iarraidh a bhaint amach in Éirinn; an gcuirfidh sí in iúl cé acu atá sí sásta na scoláireachtaí Gaeltachta, a bhíodh ar fáil óna Roinn i gcuimhne ar 1916 agus ar cuireadh stop leo cúpla bliain ó shin, a chur ar fáil arís in 2016; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [6992/15]
View answerMar a fhograíodh i mBuiséad 2012, cuireadh scéim aonair nua sparántachtaí, atá bunaithe ar fhiúntas agus riachtanas airgeadais, in ionad na cúig scéim scoláireachta don Ardoideachas, is iad sin, Scoláireacht Sheachtain na Cásca 1916, An Scéim Scoláireachtaí Triú Leibhéal do Scoláirí ón nGaeltacht, An Scéim Scoláireachtaí Gaeilge Triú Leibhéal (Neamh Theoranta), An Scéim Scolaireachtaí Triú Leibhéal (Trí Ghaeilge: Teoranta), agus Scéim Scoláireachta Donogh O'Malley.
Bronnadh na trí Scoláireachtaí Gaeltachta gan aon chritéir socheacnamaíoch a chur i bhfeidhm. Tá na sparántachtaí nua, áfach, deartha go speisialta chun díriú ar mhic léinn atá ag freastal ar scoileanna DEIS i gceantair faoi mhíbhuntáiste, agus a léiríonn freisin leibhéal de mhíbhuntáiste pearsanta nó teaghlaigh trí bheith i dteideal cárta leighis a bheith acu.
Bronntar damhachtáiní ar bhonn reigiúnda agus is féidir measúnú a dhéanamh ar mhic léinn ó na scoileanna DEIS ar fad. Rinneadh an t-athrú seo chun an úsáid is fearr a bhaint as acmhainní gann, chun díriú ar na mic léinn is fearr ó thaobh feidhmiú de, sa chohórt díobh siúd a bhfuil cúnamh airgeadais is mó ag teastáil uathu.
Níl aon phlean faoi láthair na Scoláireachtaí Gaeltachta a chur i bhfeidhm arís.
457. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the concerns among teachers regarding the proposals to introduce public hearings as part of fitness to teach inquiries; if she will provide an assurance to teachers that any such hearings will be carried out in a fair and balanced way; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6996/15]
View answerThe Teaching Council was established under the Teaching Council Act 2001 as the regulator and standards body for the teaching profession. Part 5 which will enable the Council to investigate complaints against registered teachers has not yet been commenced. Amendments to the 2001 Act are proposed in the Teaching Council (Amendment) Bill which I presented to the Oireachtas on 21 January to, among other things, strengthen the Fitness to Teach (Part 5) provisions of the Act.
I intend to bring forward amendments at Committee Stage to enable the Council to conduct Fitness to Teach hearings in public. The principles of fairness will underpin decisions of the Council on whether to conduct hearings in private or in public and its conduct of the hearings.
In drafting amendments my officials will consider the viewpoints of the Teaching Council and other stakeholders in the process, as appropriate.
