Written Answers Nos. 242-251
242. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline her plans to make funding available for support services in primary schools to promote children's emotional well-being, as is available for post-primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26499/15]
View answerMy Department adopts a holistic and integrated approach to supporting the work of schools in promoting positive mental health and to supporting those with the broad range of problems, behavioural, emotional and social who might be considered within the broad term of mental health difficulties.
The processes span the curriculum in schools, whole-school ethos, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, student support and pastoral care and the provision of professional development for teachers. It also involves other supports such as educational psychological services and guidance and counselling services, and the interface with other agencies, both nationally and locally. Schools also engage in a wide range of sport and cultural co-curricular activities which provide an important opportunity for students to experience success and personal growth.
Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory part of the curriculum in primary schools and in junior cycle since 2003 and is designed to promote positive mental health. It is supported by comprehensive teacher guidelines and curriculum support services which provide training and advice for schools and a resource directory. The Department has also issued guidelines to schools on the development of whole-school policies in areas such as anti-bullying, relationship and sexuality education, substance misuse, managing critical incidents, whole-school guidance planning etc. which are also important in promoting positive mental health.
The Deputy may also be aware that I and my colleague, Minister of State Kathleen Lynch, launched "Well-being in primary schools - Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion" on 29th January 2015. The 'Well-Being in Post-Primary Schools: Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention' were published by my Department in 2013. Both guidelines provide practical guidance to schools on how they can promote mental health and well-being in an integrated whole school way.
243. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the shortcomings of the allocation system for design and communications graphics computers in respect of schools which are rapidly expanding; if she will re-examine the case of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11 under the delivering equality of opportunity in schools programme, which has been allocated 14 computers but which will have 24 students in the leaving certificate design and communications graphics project, with similar numbers in 5th year and a doubling of those numbers in 3rd year, with a view to improving the school's allocation to meet the obvious need. [26502/15]
View answerMy Department has recently disseminated €7m in grants to 450 post primary schools for the purchase of computers for use in Design and Communication Graphics (DCG). My Department has also made arrangements for the purchase and provision of CAD Software for Schools.
There is an appeals process in place for schools who are unhappy with their allocation under the scheme. Appeals must be received by 30th September 2015 in writing to the ICT Policy Unit of my Department. An appeal has been received from St. Kevin's and this will be considered along with other appeals after the closing date. Decisions will then be communicated to the schools concerned.
244. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide details of the capitation rates for schools under the delivering equality of opportunity in schools scheme, for education and training boards, community and comprehensive schools and schools in the voluntary sector; the reason for the wide variation in these rates, given that their students come from similar socio-economic backgrounds and have similar needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26503/15]
View answerThe funding arrangements made by my Department for post primary schools reflect the sectoral division of our second-level system. At the core of all arrangements is reliance upon capitation as the principal determinant of funding.
My Department provides funding to Community and Comprehensive schools on a budget basis that is based mainly on pupil numbers, but also takes into account additional factors which vary from school to school such as age of buildings, size of school etc.
With regard to the ETB sector, financial allocations are made to ETBs as part of a block grant. ETBs are given a high level of autonomy in the management and appropriation of this grant and each is allowed to distribute its allocations in line with its priorities and perceptions of need.
My Department provides funding to voluntary secondary schools by way of per capita grants. Fee charging schools do not receive any capitation or related grants from my Department.
In addition, all schools participating in the DEIS programme receive additional funding by way of a DEIS Grant. This grant is based on each school's individual level of disadvantage in the DEIS identification process.
The following information was provided under Standing Order 40A
I am now in a position to provide additional information on the specific points raised in the PQ.
As set out in the initial answer, the funding arrangements made by my Department for post primary schools reflect the sectoral division of our second-level system. At the core of all arrangements is reliance upon capitation as the principal determinant of funding.
My Department provides funding to Community and Comprehensive schools on a budget basis that is based mainly on pupil numbers, but also takes into account additional factors which vary from school to school such as age of buildings, size of school etc.
With regard to the ETB, sector financial allocations are made to ETBs as part of a block grant. ETBs are given a high level of autonomy in the management and appropriation of this grant and each is allowed to distribute its allocations in line with its priorities and perceptions of need.
My Department provides funding to voluntary secondary schools by way of per capita grants. The rates and method of calculation of these grants is set out in the table.
In addition all schools participating in DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, receive a DEIS grant based on each school’s level of disadvantage relative to other schools as identified by the DEIS identification process. The identification of schools for inclusion in DEIS was carried out in 2005 by the Education Research Centre as an independent process.
DEIS grants are calculated on the basis of the eligible enrolment in a school multiplied by the level of disadvantage multiplied by the rate of grant. In order that the most disadvantaged pupils benefit proportionately from the use of resources, the model is designed so that grants are targeted at the disadvantaged pupil numbers within schools rather than at the whole school. Pupils in special classes are excluded from the calculation of the DEIS Grant. For the 2014-15 school year, DEIS grants totalling €10.8million were paid to DEIS primary schools and grants totalling €3.5million were paid to DEIS post primary schools.
To date neither the ranking of schools in order of their respective levels of concentrated disadvantage, nor the individual funding amounts paid to schools, has been made public in order not to identify particular schools and create a ‘league table’ of DEIS schools. This principle is particularly important at present as I have recently commenced a review of the DEIS programme. Accordingly, I am not in a position to provide the detailed information requested in respect of DEIS schools.
Table: Voluntary Secondary Schools in the Free Education Scheme
Per Capita Grant Rates for general running costs and funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services with effect from 1 st January 2015
Standard Capitation Grant
€296 per pupil, less the contribution to teachers’ salaries of €562.5 per Serving Permanent/CID based on the figures contained in each schools schedule of Department supported posts. The grant is paid in three instalments in September, January and April.
School Services Support Fund (SSSF)
€201 per pupil payable in three instalments in September, January and April. Each eligible school receives the SSSF grant, which is calculated at a minimum enrolment rate of 200 pupils and thereafter according to enrolment.
Grants for Secretaries
Basic Secretarial Grant, €36 per pupil
SSSF Secretary Grant, €24 per pupil
Schools employing secretaries under ‘the 1978 scheme’ do not receive any secretary grants.
Grants for Caretakers
Basic Caretaker Grant, €30 per pupil
SSSF Caretaker Grant, €18 per pupil
To qualify for the basic secretary and caretaker grants, a school must have an enrolment figure of at least 200 pupils. The grant is calculated by multiplying the enrolment figure by the rate up to a maximum of 350 pupils. These grants are calculated according to the previous school year's enrolment figures.
All schools, regardless of enrolment, receive the SSSF caretaker and secretary grants, which are calculated at a minimum enrolment rate of 200 pupils and thereafter according to enrolment up to a maximum of 350 pupils.
245. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide a list of the schools in the Longford and Westmeath area affected by the recent withdrawal of school transport services due to a number of eligible pupils residing in a distinct locality. [26521/15]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following table.
|
County |
School |
Roll No. |
|
Longford |
Mostrim C of I |
13313S |
|
Westmeath |
Rathowen C of I |
18591C |
|
Westmeath |
Kilpatrick NS |
19607T |
|
Westmeath |
Gaelscoil Mullingar |
20002P |
|
Longford |
Gaelscoil Longford |
20083S |
246. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding rents for students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26528/15]
View answerI appreciate that there are concerns regarding the availability of accommodation for students in certain parts of the country and for that reason I have asked the HEA to report on this issue. The HEA are currently working on a draft report on student accommodation which will be available shortly and will give us an up to date picture of the situation.
In that context, I will continue to work with Government colleagues and stakeholders to explore ways to increase the availability of student accommodation where needed. Many of our third-level institutions are currently working to develop additional accommodation for their students, which will help to address the issue in the medium term.
In the longer term, the Government is committed to addressing the housing shortage through the Construction 2020 strategy. This will not resolve all of our problems immediately, but I am confident that the implementation of Construction 2020 will provide us with a sustainable housing stock in the medium to longer term.
247. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills to set out her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding Student Universal Support Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26541/15]
View answerFor student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he or she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in studies of at least three years and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous October. Otherwise he or she would continue to be assessed on the basis of parental income.
Only in exceptional cases, where compelling evidence of estrangement from parents/guardians is provided, can candidates who are under 23 be assessed without reference to their parents/guardians income or address.
The assessment of a case of estrangement is carefully considered to ensure there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the exceptional circumstances pertaining in such cases genuinely exists. The type of evidence required is dependent on the applicant's individual circumstances. It is difficult to legislate for all possible scenarios that can lead to genuine estrangement cases. Setting out guidelines as to how students can demonstrate estrangement will by their very nature, restrict the assessment of estrangement cases to those that fall within these guidelines. Such restrictions may not be in the best interest of students genuinely in this situation.
I have no plans to change the current arrangements.
248. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline her views on correspondence received by families regarding their school transport (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26546/15]
View answerUnder the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Schemes a minimum of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits.
Families of eligible children, for whom there is no school transport service available, are eligible for the remote area grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements.
The terms of the School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis and I am satisfied with the current criteria for the establishment or retention of school transport services.
249. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills to set out her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding religious discrimination in primary school enrolment policies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26549/15]
View answerIt is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. The enrolment policy must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants.
This Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. Parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
Under the Equal Status Act schools are not permitted to discriminate against an applicant for admission on any of the grounds set out in the Act. However, the Act makes provision for exemptions to apply in the case of single-sex schools and in the case of schools where the objective is to provide education in an environment that promotes certain religious values. The legislation provides that an educational establishment does not discriminate where the establishment is a school providing primary or post-primary education to students and the objective of the school is to provide education in an environment which promotes certain religious values, it admits persons of a particular religious denomination in preference to others or it refuses to admit as a student a person who is not of that denomination and, in the case of a refusal, it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school. Schools that comply with the requirements of the equality legislation do not therefore discriminate on religious grounds.
Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent or guardian to the Secretary General of my Department, or in the case of an Educational Training Board (ETB) school to the ETB in the first instance, where a Board of Management of a school, or a person acting on behalf of the Board, refuses to enrol a student in a school, expels a student or suspends a student for 20 or more days in any school year. The Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency (EWS) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The EWS can be contacted at 01-8738700.
As you are aware, I published the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill in early April. The Bill provides 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. The Bill does not propose changes to the existing equality legislation. However, the Bill provides for schools to explicitly state in the school's admission policy that it will not discriminate against an applicant for admission on the grounds of disability, special educational needs, sexual orientation, family status, membership of the traveller community, race, civil status, gender or religion while including provision for single-sex schools and denominational schools to reflect, in their admission policy, the exemptions applicable to such schools under equality legislation. The Bill also provides for schools to publish an enrolment policy which will include details of the school's arrangements for students who do not want to attend religious instruction.
250. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline her plans to conduct a review of the third level grant structure to take eligibility into account; and if she is satisfied that the system is fit for purpose, as more and more students are availing of third level education. [26565/15]
View answerThe eligibility criteria for student grants is reviewed annually in my Department and approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
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. The purpose of the student grant scheme is to provide additional assistance where parental income is below a certain threshold or in the case of independent mature students, where the level of income of the student and his or her spouse warrants additional assistance by way of a grant. The aim of the student grant scheme is to make a contribution to the cost of going to college; covering the full cost has never been a feasible option.
I have no plans at present to depart from the current funding model for third level education.
251. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna an mbeadh sí sásta casadh le toscaireacht ó Scoil Naomh Eoin, Inis Meáin chun an cheist mar gheall ar an ngá atá ann go gceapfar an dara hoide ranga sa scoil a phlé; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [26567/15]
View answerFoilsítear na critéir a úsáidtear chun múinteoirí a leithdháileadh ar bhunscoileanna ar shuíomh idirlín na Roinne Oideachais agus Scileanna gach bliain. Is é an príomhchritéar lena gcinntear an leibhéal acmhainní foirnithe a sholáthraítear ag leibhéal na scoile aonair ná an sceideal foirnithe don scoilbhliain chuí agus an líon daltaí ar an rolla ar an 30 Meán Fómhair roimhe sin. Bhí 3 dhalta ar an rolla sa scoil dá dtagraíonn an Teachta ar an 30 Meán Fómhair 2014. Tá rollachán de 8 ndalta réamh-mheasta ag an scoil do mhí Mheán Fómhair seo chugainn.
Cuirtear feabhas ar leibhéil foirnithe sna scoileanna beaga leis na socruithe foirne don scoilbhliain 2015/16. Tá tairseacha feabhsaithe ceapacháin agus coinneála tugtha isteach don scoilbhliain 2015/16 do scoileanna aon oide amháin atá scartha amach ó scoileanna eile. Áit a mbeadh líon de 20 dalta ar an rolla ag teastáil ón scoil seo chun go gceapfaí an dara oide, anois tá sé seo laghdaithe go 15 dhalta.
Tá próiseas achomharc ar fáil do scoileanna beaga sa chás go mbíonn siad in ann a léiriú gur leor a rollacháin réamh-mheasta chun ligean dóibh a múinteoir rangsheomra a choinneáil sa bhfadtéarma. Cuirtear in iúl na critéir faoina féidir le scoileanna achomharc a dhéanamh i gCiorclán 0005/2015. Feidhmíonn an Bord Achomharc go neamhspleách ar an Roinn agus ní bhíonn dul thar a bhreith. Is oth liom nach bhfuil ar mo chumas, de bharr sriantachtaí dialainne, cruinniú a éascú.
