Written Answers Nos. 65 - 73
65. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that the budget granted to a school (details supplied) for its new classroom extension will be increased to cover the current cost of the building; if he will expedite this decision to ensure the costs do not increase further; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1999/17]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy was approved funding in 2013 for the provision of 2 mainstream classrooms and 2 resource rooms. The school authority has since contacted my Department seeking additional funding for an alternative building project.
Further information, requested by my Department, including details of the tender cost analysis and the new building plans, has recently been supplied by the school and is currently being considered. My Department will be in direct contact with the school authorities concerned as soon as the deliberative process has been concluded.
66. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the services and schools available for children who have been diagnosed with dyspraxia and DCD in the greater Dublin area; if the current services available will be upgraded and reviewed in line with demographic changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1813/17]
View answerMy Department provides for a range of services and supports to ensure that children with special educational needs, including children with Dyspraxia and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), can have access to an education appropriate to their needs. These supports include additional teaching and care support, enhanced capitation, specialised school transport arrangements, funding for schools for the purchase of assistive technology and/or specialist equipment, adaptations for school buildings where necessary in addition to provision for continuing professional development for teachers of children with special educational needs through the Special Education Support Service (SESS).
My Department’s policy is that children with special educational needs should be included where possible and appropriate in mainstream placements with additional supports provided, unless such a placement would not be in their best interests or in the interests of the children with whom they are to be educated, as is provided for under Section 2 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 (EPSEN Act 2004). In circumstances where children with special educational needs require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are also available.
Children with dyspraxia and DCD attending school may be entitled to additional teaching provision in school, either under the terms of the school's teaching allocation for pupils with high incidence special educational needs, if their educational psychological assessment places the child in the high incidence disability category, or separately, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates additional resource teaching hours to schools for children who have been assessed within the low incidence, or more complex, category of special need, as defined by my Department's Circular Sp Ed 02/05. The precise level of support is determined by the special educational needs of the particular child.
All mainstream Primary and Post Primary schools have been allocated significant additional teaching resources to cater for children with high incidence special educational needs, including Specific Learning Disability (SLD); dyspraxia and DCD are considered to be Specific Learning Disabilities. It is a matter for individual schools to use their professional judgment to identify pupils who will receive this support and to use the resources available to the school to intervene at the appropriate level with such pupils. Schools are supported in this regard by the National Educational Psychological Services. Schools should monitor and utilise their allocation of additional teaching support to best support the needs of identified pupils. The teaching time afforded to each individual pupil is decided and managed by schools, taking into account each child's individual learning needs.
Schools are not required to apply directly to my Department for learning support for children with SLDs. Schools should monitor and utilise their allocation of additional teaching support to best support the needs of identified pupils, in accordance with my Department's guidance.
My Department provides guidelines for schools in relation to the utilisation of additional teaching resources which have been allocated to them for pupils with high incidence special educational needs. These include:
- Special Education Circular Sp Ed 02/05 - Organisation of Teaching Resources for Pupils who need Additional Support in Mainstream Primary Schools,
- Circular 70/2014 which provides guidelines for post primary schools in relation to the utilisation of additional teaching resources which have been allocated to them for pupils with special educational needs,
- Inclusion of Pupils with Special Educational Needs Post Primary Guidelines, and which describes the graduated problem-solving model of assessment and intervention in schools, which is available on my Department's website www.education.gov.ie.
As the allocation of support for pupils with SLDs is managed locally by schools, a parent who feels that their child requires additional learning support in school should raise this matter directly with their school Principal in the first instance, or with the Board of Management of the school.
Specific Learning Disability is not a disability category included in the list of low incidence disabilities which are eligible for the allocation of resource teaching hours to individual students, under the terms of the relevant circulars.
The NCSE has a statutory role under the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 to provide me with policy advice in relation to matters concerning the education of persons with special educational needs. In policy advice provided to my Department the NCSE advised that the current system for allocating resource hours to schools to support pupils with specific disabilities is potentially inequitable; this is because the current system fails to take account of the individual needs of the children concerned. The NCSE recommended that a new model would be developed through which resources would be provided to schools on the basis of profiled needs of each school.
As part the recent Budget announcements, I announced that following development and piloting over the past number of years, a new model for the allocation of teaching resources for children with special educational needs will be implemented from September 2017. An additional €18 million will be provided in 2017 to provide for around 900 resource teacher posts, which represents the period of 2017 from September to the end of the year. Further details regarding implementation of the new model were announced earlier today.
67. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he has taken to resolve ongoing serious industrial relations concerns in second level education highlighted by the ASTI trade union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1298/17]
View answerFollowing discussions, the Teachers Conciliation Council published a set of proposals in November for consideration by ASTI members aimed at finding a resolution to their dispute. The ASTI Central Executive Committee took a decision to put the outcome of the talks process to a ballot of members with a recommendation to reject. The ASTI’s leadership have taken a view on the proposals. It is now over to the members to form their view.
The proposals provide ASTI members with an opportunity to benefit from the programme of pay restoration which commenced under recent public service agreements and which I have used to negotiate with TUI and INTO for substantial improvements in pay for new teachers. The agreement reached with TUI and INTO will see pay rises of between 15-22% (between €4600 and €6700) for new entrant teachers.
In addition, there are other immediate undoubted benefits for individual ASTI members in accepting the proposals including:
- Avoiding an increment freeze
- Inclusion of the S&S allowance of €1,592 into the pay scale
- Continued alleviation of the FEMPI Act pay reductions
- The Ward Report measures and a revised sequence for filling posts which enable fixed-term and part-time teachers to gain permanent, full-time jobs more easily and quickly than before
- An increase in the quantum of the Croke Park hours that can be worked on other than a whole-school basis
- A review of the usage of the Croke Park hours
- Protection against compulsory redundancy.
In addition, the Government yesterday moved to address an anomaly issue arising in the context of the recent Labour Court Recommendations in respect of the Garda Associations through an increase in annualised salaries of €1,000 for the period 1 April 2017 to August 2017 inclusive for public servants on annualised salaries up to €65,000 who are parties to the Lansdowne Road Agreement and who do not stand to benefit from those Labour Court Recommendations.
ASTI members will have to weigh these benefits up for themselves. These benefits are only available to ASTI members if they vote to accept. ASTI’s membership now have a decision to make as to whether to accept the TCC proposals and the immediate benefits on offer or to engage again in industrial action. It is for the ASTI leadership to explain its strategy in respect of the latter approach.
ASTI’s ballot will take place over the coming weeks. While that process is ongoing it would not be helpful for me to comment further.
68. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps being taken to improve adult literacy levels in view of the comparability of the Irish sample in PIAAC with that of other participating countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1998/17]
View answerIreland was one of 25 countries that participated in the first round of the OECD’s Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) survey in 2011-12. A further nine countries participated in the second round in 2014-15.
On the literacy scale, Irish adults achieved an adjusted mean score of 266, slightly above the survey average score of 265, placing Ireland 19 out of the 34 countries that participated to date.
17.9% of Irish adults scored at below level 1 for literacy proficiency which was better than the overall survey average of 20.3%.
The improvement of adult literacy skills is a key priority in the area of Further Education and Training (FET) and has led to significant policy and practice development in recent times. This was reinforced in the legislation establishing SOLAS, the Further Education and Training Authority, with the inclusion of a requirement for the development of a strategy aimed at promoting, developing and encouraging literacy and numeracy.
A Review of Adult Literacy Services in 2013 made a number of recommendations which have been taken into account in devising the FET Literacy strategy and in revising the adult literacy operational guidelines. The FET literacy strategy includes a range of actions to improve the literacy skills of the adult population including CPD provision for staff, embedding of literacy and numeracy within FET provision and setting targets and objectives for literacy and numeracy programmes
An advisory group established to oversee implementation of the strategy includes representation from a range of stakeholders including the Adult Literacy Officers Association (ALOA), Adult Education Officer’s Association (AEOA), Education and Training Boards (ETB’s), Education Training Board Ireland (ETBI), National Adult Literacy Agency (LA) and SOLAS.
As well as the revision and publication of the operational guidelines for adult literacy, progress to date under the FET literacy strategy includes:
- Launch of the national literacy and numeracy promotional and awareness campaign - www.takethefirststep.ie
- Development of regional ETB adult Literacy programme strategic plans - informed by the recommendations of the 2013 Review
- Commissioning of two research projects to provide improved assessments systems for literacy and numeracy participants and development of national guidelines for ESOL
- Publication of the FET Professional Development Strategy 2017-2019.
Annual funding to provide adult literacy services, including ESOL, is almost €30million. Services in 2016 were planned to benefit almost 56,000 beneficiaries. My Department will continue to work with SOLAS, the ETBs and national agencies to progress full implementation of the FET literacy strategy and to continue to raise adult literacy skills.
69. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills the interventions his Department makes to assist the educational needs of asylum seekers and refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2004/17]
View answerAll children who do not have Irish nationality can access pre-school, primary and post-primary education in the same manner as children with Irish Nationality, until they have reached the age of 18 years. For children who do not have English as their first language, the priority for them is to gain proficiency in the host language. At both primary and post-primary priority levels, additional language support is provided for students who do not speak English as their first language.
Under Ireland’s Refugee Resettlement Programme, arriving migrants are accommodated in Reception centres for an initial period of a number of months before being re-settled in the receiving community. Language and Cultural orientation training is provided so migrants can gain some understanding of English and of Irish culture and mores. For children, there is a transitional Primary School programme run in the Reception centre, the objective of which is to ease their transition into school in the receiving communities.
Asylum seekers who do not have an entitlement to work have free access to adult literacy and English language classes run by the Education and Training Boards. The City of Dublin ETB runs a programme for unaccompanied minors.
There has been extensive consultation with stakeholders as part of the preparation of a Migrant Integration Strategy. The lead Department is the Department of Justice and Equality and while accommodation and employment are key to migrant integration, education is also seen as a pivotal area.
70. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide the extra resources as a matter of urgency to a school (details supplied) to end the current situation where there are 33 pupils to one teacher in a specific class; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2001/17]
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 schedule currently operates on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 27 pupils with lower thresholds for DEIS Band 1 schools. DEIS Urban Band 1 schools with vertical classes such as the one referred to by the Deputy is allocated mainstream staffing on the basis of an average of 1 teacher for every 22 pupils.
The school referred to by the Deputy has made an enrolment return of 126 for the current school year. The school has 6 mainstream class teachers, which provides for an average pupil teacher ratio of 1 classroom teacher for every 21 pupils.
The configuration of classes and the deployment of classroom teachers are done at local school level. My Department's guidance to schools is that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment etc.).
71. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that the decision to use a route over Mamore Gap when calculating the nearest school for children living in Urris, County Donegal, is overturned in order that a school (details supplied) can continue to be the nearest school for these children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1811/17]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
Currently in the region of 114,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.
Changes to the eligibility criteria for my Department's School Transport Scheme were announced in December 2010 by the then Government as part of measures contained in Budget 2011 and derived from recommendations contained in the Value for Money review of the scheme. This resulted in changes for eligibility in some areas such as the Urris area in Donegal.
Any child who had an eligibility under the old rules retained this eligibility provided there was no change in their circumstances. Under the new rules children are eligible for post primary school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann determines distance eligibility by measuring the shortest traversable route, which may be either pedestrian or vehicular from a family's home to their nearest education centre and it is not necessarily the route that the school bus takes. Therefore the Mamore Gap is used when determining school transport eligibility for children resident in the Urris area.
The purpose of this measurement is to assess if children meet the distance eligibility criterion for school transport. In the interests of equity, this is applied on a consistent standard basis across the country irrespective of any local circumstances that may impact on travel conditions on particular routes during parts of the year.
The terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis and will continue to be applied to the children in question.
72. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he will publish the report of the review his Department commissioned to identify the supports and barriers to accessing higher education for lone parents and to examine measures to increase participation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1809/17]
View answerThe review of the supports and barriers to accessing higher education for lone parents is currently being finalised and will be completed by the end of Quarter 1 2017.
The review is being conducted by a multi-disciplinary team from NUI Maynooth. The review process is being overseen by a steering committee comprising officials from my Department and from the Departments of Social Protection and Children and Youth Affairs, as well as the Higher Education Authority.
The review has examined existing data and the supports that are currently available for lone parents, with a view to identifying the specific challenges faced by lone parents in accessing higher education. The intention is to identify measures and best practice that will address those challenges in the future.
The review was sufficiently progressed to inform policy discussions between the relevant Departments in advance of Budget 2017.
In this context, I secured additional funding of €1 million in Budget 2017 to support more lone parents to participate in higher education. This new funding will be used to respond to the recommendations contained in the review.
The additional funding I received for lone parents in Budget 2017 will be complemented by measures announced by my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, to assist lone parents to return to education. These measures include the reintroduction of the €500 annual cost of Education allowance.
The Minister for Children & Youth Affairs also is introducing a programme of affordable child care which will be of significant help to lone parents who are using childcare.
73. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the delivery of a new school building for a school (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1807/17]
View answerA building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is included in the current 6 year construction programme announced in November, 2015. An acquisition process to acquire a suitable site to accommodate the new school building is currently underway.
Officials in my Department have been working closely with officials from Cork County Council towards such an acquisition and a suitable site option has been identified and deemed to be technically feasible. Negotiations have taken place with the landowner and I am pleased to inform the Deputy that agreement in principle for the acquisition of the site by my Department has been reached.
The site acquisition process will now progress to the conveyancing stage where the necessary due diligence will be undertaken by the Chief State Solicitor’s Office on my behalf. The acquisition will be subject to the satisfactory completion of the legal conveyance process.
I can assure the Deputy that my officials will continue to work to finalise the acquisition of a suitable site as expeditiously as possible and once this is completed the project will progress into architectural planning.
