Written Answers Nos. 218-235
218. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the acquisition of a site for a school (details supplied); the process for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4041/18]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector recommended that demand for patronage diversity should be met in areas of stable population by divesting patronage of existing schools where there is evidence of parental demand for change.
In 2012/13, my Department undertook surveys of parental preferences in 44 areas of stable population to establish the level of demand for a wider choice in the patronage of primary schools. Sufficient demand emerged in 28 areas, including in the area referred to by the Deputy, and intensive consultations followed with the main Catholic patrons in each of these areas to discuss divesting options.
Under this process, a divested school could be opened where a school building became, or was due to become, available as a result of an amalgamation/closure of an existing school. In some areas, in responding to demand for diversity where existing patrons were unable make school properties available, my Department also included an examination of properties held in public ownership.
The school referred to by the Deputy opened in September 2015 in temporary accommodation under the patronage divesting process. My Department is investigating the current ownership of vacated school buildings in the area to facilitate the completion of the divestment process.
219. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills when instructions will be finalised and issued to ETBI and ETBs regarding the proposed BTEI conversion process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4044/18]
View answerThe BTEI conversion process is the subject of ongoing discussions between my Department, Education & Training Boards Ireland and the Teachers Union of Ireland. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for me to comment any further at this stage.
220. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on each recommendation (details supplied) as contained in the National Competitiveness Council report, Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2017; his plans to implement the policy recommendations which he has statutory remit for; and the timeframe for implementation. [4054/18]
View answerThe issues and recommendations highlighted in the National Competitiveness Council report are being considered by my Department. There is already work underway on all these issues.
National Training Fund Review
As part of budget 2018 I announced major reforms to the National Training Fund (NTF), which will address the recommendations outlined in National Competitiveness Council report. There will be additional and refocused expenditure deployed on programmes directly relevant to employers, including an expansion of the apprenticeship and traineeship programmes and enhanced funding to Skillnets to provide in company training. The NTF will also be more aligned with employer needs and as an initial step the composition of programmes has been reviewed to bring greater alignment with employer needs. Funding for ‘in-employment’ has risen by 10% in 2018. There is currently a comprehensive independent review of the NTF ongoing and this will guide strategic decisions on its structure and future direction in order to inform budget 2019.
ICT
The high-level ICT Skills forecast for the period 2018-2022 is currently under development and is due to report in Q1, 2018.
Apprenticeships
As set out in our Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeship and Traineeship in Ireland, my Department is, in conjunction with SOLAS, currently reviewing the pathways to participation in apprenticeship in a range of diverse groups, including female participation. The review, which commenced last year, will be completed later this year.
Currently, there are over 5,000 employers using the apprenticeship system as a talent pipeline in Ireland and the majority of these are SME companies. The number of participating employers is continually increasing and as part of the current expansion of apprenticeship in Ireland it is expected that, by 2020, more than 7,000 employers will be taking on apprentices. The Apprenticeship Council and industry-led consortia are actively monitoring and working on employer participation in apprenticeship.
In 2017, there was a second national call for proposals for new apprenticeships to be developed. This provided industry-led groups the opportunity to work with education providers to develop proposals for new apprenticeships in their individual sectors. Last month, 26 new national apprenticeships were approved for further development in areas ranging from animation to healthcare.
To help communicate the expansion work, a phased communication campaign began last year with a focus on public relations, events and digital media. As a result there has been a large increase in media coverage of apprenticeships and a strong social media presence has been established across Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. The campaign’s initial focus was on potential apprentices, including women, and key influencers such as guidance counsellors and parents. In the year ahead there will be an increased focus on employer engagement, including SMEs.
FET
As part of the annual Further Education and Training (FET) service planning process, and taking into account the findings from the research commissioned by SOLAS on Barriers to participation in Further Education and Training which was completed and published last year, as well as other relevant research, and building on good practice in the Education and Training Board (ETB) sector, funding applications to SOLAS will be required to provide details on existing and new initiatives to address barriers to participation in FET.
In support of the targets set by the National Skills Strategy to increase participation in life-long learning overall, the SOLAS Corporate Plan 2017-2019 published last year, has set the target of a 10% increase in FET lifelong learning participation to help reach the EU average.
Lifelong learning
One of the key targets set out by the Action Plan for Education (September 2016) includes an ambition to increase Ireland’s lifelong learning participation rate to 10% by 2020 and to 15% by 2025.
There are a number of initiatives in place already which will assist in increasing our Lifelong Learning rate:
- Launched in 2017, one of the main aims of the Skills for Growth Initiative is to allow for enhanced engagement between enterprise and education to enabling upskilling of existing staff in order to address identified skills needs.
- The eligibility criteria for Springboard+ was expanded in 2017 to include: people that have been out of the work environment for a number of years due to childcare or other caring obligations and have a previous history of employment but may require upskilling, reskilling or cross-skilling to transition back to the workforce; those in employment who wish to upskill or reskill to meet a specific emerging skills need in the Biopharma/Med Tech sector and those in employment, or self-employment in the ICT sector who wish to upskill from a level 7 to a level 8 qualification.
- The recent call for proposals for courses under Springboard+ 2018 provides for the extension of eligibility to all those in employment. This extension of eligibility provides further opportunities for lifelong learning for people both in employment and the economically inactive.
The National Skills Council is currently examining the issue of Lifelong Learning. The Council provides a forum for continued liaison with key stakeholders to implement next steps and innovative approaches to overcoming the key barriers to participation in lifelong learning.
221. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if funding is available from his Department for resurfacing of a primary school car park; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4073/18]
View answerThe Summer Works Scheme is the funding mechanism for upgrade works to the external environment of a school including upgrades to car parking facilities.
The school in question may apply for an upgrade to its car park under the next Summer Works Scheme when announced.
Alternatively, the school may use its minor works grant for the works as this grant, which was recently paid to schools, must be spent on the physical infrastructure of a school or on items of furniture and equipment for educational use including IT related equipment.
222. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if financial assistance to trainee educational psychologists will be provided, in line with the financial support provided to their counterparts on alternative doctoral programmes and in the context of youth mental health (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4079/18]
View answer233. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if financial assistance to trainee educational psychologists will be provided in line with the financial support provided to their counterparts on alternative doctoral programmes (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4213/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 233 together.
It is presumed that the educational funding to which the Deputy refers relates to the Clinical Psychologist Traineeship programme operated within the Health Service Executive.
As the Deputy may be aware my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) is a school-based educational psychological service to all first and second level schools. The NEPS mission is to support the well-being and the personal, social and educational development of all children through the application of psychological theory and practice in education, having particular regard for children with special educational needs.
NEPS bases its recruitment of staff on an open market offer, made through the Public Appointments Service, to appropriately qualified professionals. This process has proved successful in its application and intent over the years. Recruits thus identified and employed are supported through an induction programme and on-going professional development supports and the quality thereof is high and their retention very satisfactory.
Clinical Psychologists fulfil a particular function within the Health Sector which is subject to a number of contextual differences to those pertaining to Educational Psychologists in my Department and in which situation it has been deemed necessary to create a supported traineeship to secure and retain appropriately qualified personnel. I set out below for the Deputy’s information a note on the matter supplied to my Department by the HSE.
Clinical Psychologist Trainee
Employment of psychologists in the Irish Health Services began in the mid-sixties. Mirroring developments in the United Kingdom, the initial cohort of psychologists recruited were all employed as clinical psychologists mainly within mental health services. This practice was formally recognised with the introduction of the Department of Health (DoH) regulations in 1979 governing the recruitment of psychologists which related specifically to clinical psychology, attached. In the early 1970s, in order to address the growing need for clinical psychologists and in the absence of formal training programmes, a clinical psychology apprenticeship in-service model was established within the Health Boards. In 1978, clinical psychology training accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) was developed by the Eastern Health Board in collaboration with the University of Dublin, Trinity College (TCD). Successful trainees were awarded the BPS Diploma in Clinical Psychology. This led in 1992 to the establishment of a clinical psychology training programme in TCD. In 1983, University College Dublin (UCD) established a clinical psychology training programme in conjunction with Health Boards.
Currently, there are five doctoral level clinical psychology training programmes that have developed through and operate in partnership with the HSE. They are based at the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), University of Dublin, Trinity College (TCD), University College Dublin (UCD), University College Cork (UCC) and the University of Limerick (UL).
All five clinical psychology training programmes have, as required by the Accreditation Standards of PSI, a central purpose which is to train professionally qualified clinical psychologists to work in the Irish health service. It is the only branch of psychology to which the PSI attribute this purpose.
Parallel to the development of the partnership approach to clinical training between the HSE and the university sector, the PSI, in response to a request by the Department of Health to help meet the demand for psychologists at that time, established in 1992 its own in-service professional clinical psychology training programme. This course was discontinued in 2010. In 2015, approval was granted to establish a post graduate clinical psychology training programme in University College Cork (UCC). Clinical psychology is the only branch of psychology whose central purpose is to work in the health sector. This programme of study and clinical placements is specific to the mental health services in the HSE and the programme content and placement locations are specified by the HSE. Participants undergoing these programmes receive are contracted for employment to the HSE are receive fee support. On completion of the programme of study the psychologists have a 3 year employment commitment to the HSE.
Workforce, Analysis and Informatics, National HR Directorate, HSE.
223. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the selection process for schools that were selected to teach the new leaving certificate computer science subject; the number of schools that were offered the programme in County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4083/18]
View answerThe introduction of Computer Science as a Leaving Certificate subject is part of this Government’s overall commitment to embed digital technology in teaching and learning. I asked my Department to accelerate the introduction of this exciting new subject into the first phase of schools to September 2018.
As part of the process of identifying schools to participate in Phase 1 of the implementation of the new subject, my Department issued a circular letter (ref 0067/2017) to all post-primary schools inviting them to apply. This letter advised that a small cohort of schools would be selected for this initial phase. The letter also advised of the section criteria that would be used to assist in selecting the Phase 1 schools, viz.
- There is support from the Board of Management and senior leadership within the school, in consultation with the school community, for this initiative;
- The school is willing to offer Computer Science as a Leaving Certificate subject on the time-table from September 2018;
- The school can identify a teacher (or teachers) with relevant experience and/or qualifications who is willing to teach Computer Science and participate in the required professional development within school time;
- Teachers are willing to participate in some professional development in their own time if and when the need arises;
- The school has a viable number of students interested in studying Computer Science as a Leaving Certificate subject.
A Steering Group chaired by my Department was established to oversee the implementation of the new subject. Over 130 applications were received from schools to participate in Phase 1 and these were examined and assessed by a sub-group of this steering group. The 40 schools identified by the selection sub-group, which included a spread by geographical area and school type, were subsequently approved by the Steering Group.
While many of the applications received from schools were of high quality, the requirement to have a relatively small number of schools comprising the Phase 1 cohort meant that some schools would be inevitably disappointed. However, it is my Department’s intention, following the experience of the Phase 1 implementation, to ultimately offer Computer Science as a Leaving Certificate option to all interested schools.
Schools that were unsuccessful in their application to participate in Phase 1 have been notified accordingly. While understanding the Deputy's request for specific details in relation to schools in County Laois that may have applied for inclusion in Phase 1, it is not the place of the Department to provide details of unsuccessful applicants. Unsuccessful schools were not advised that such details would be shared.
224. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the selection process for schools that were selected to teach the new leaving certificate computer science subject; the number of schools that were offered the programme in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4084/18]
View answerThe introduction of Computer Science as a Leaving Certificate subject is part of this Government’s overall commitment to embed digital technology in teaching and learning. I asked my Department to accelerate the introduction of this exciting new subject into the first phase of schools to September 2018.
As part of the process of identifying schools to participate in Phase 1 of the implementation of the new subject, my Department issued a circular letter (ref 0067/2017) to all post-primary schools inviting them to apply. This letter advised that a small cohort of schools would be selected for this initial phase. The letter also advised of the section criteria that would be used to assist in selecting the Phase 1 schools, viz.
- There is support from the Board of Management and senior leadership within the school, in consultation with the school community, for this initiative;
- The school is willing to offer Computer Science as a Leaving Certificate subject on the time-table from September 2018;
- The school can identify a teacher (or teachers) with relevant experience and/or qualifications who are willing to teach Computer Science and participate in the required professional development within school time;
- Teachers are willing to participate in some professional development in their own time if and when the need arises;
- The school has a viable number of students interested in studying Computer Science as a Leaving Certificate subject.
A Steering Group chaired by my Department was established to oversee the implementation of the new subject. Over 130 applications were received from schools to participate in Phase 1 and these were examined and assessed by a sub-group of this steering group. The 40 schools identified by the selection sub-group, which included a spread by geographical area and school type, were subsequently approved by the Steering Group.
While many of the applications received from schools were of high quality, the requirement to have a relatively small number of schools comprising the Phase 1 cohort meant that some schools would be inevitably disappointed. However, it is my Department’s intention, following the experience of the Phase 1 implementation, to ultimately offer Computer Science as a Leaving Certificate option to all interested schools.
Schools that were unsuccessful in their application to participate in Phase 1 have been notified accordingly. While understanding the Deputy's request for specific details in relation to schools in Kildare that may have applied for inclusion in Phase 1, it is not the place of the Department to provide details of unsuccessful applicants. Unsuccessful schools were not advised that such details would be shared.
225. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4102/18]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that the position is that Institutes of Technology are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006.
The management of their academic affairs, including human resources issues, are matters for individual institutions.
In relation to the selection and delivery of courses, the Institutes also have full autonomy under the legislation. All Institutes of Technology receive a block grant from the Higher Education Authority and it is a matter for each institution to determine how it is allocated internally. Neither I nor my Department have any function in relation to such matters.
226. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress being made on a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4116/18]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school to which he refers is included in my Department's 6 Year Capital Programme.
The delivery of the building project necessitates the acquisition of a suitable site. Officials in my Department are working closely with officials from the local authority in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable site to facilitate the construction of the new school.
227. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the growing crisis in secondary school places in County Kildare; and his plans to solve this growing problem (details supplied). [4164/18]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department expects the building project at St. Conleth's Community College, Newbridge to be completed and ready for occupation by September 2018. This project, when completed, will assist in meeting demographic need in the area.
In addition, I wish to advise the Deputy that major building projects at 7 post primary schools in County Kildare are included on my Department's 6 year Construction Plan as follows:
St. Paul's Secondary School - Monasterevin
Naas Community College
Cross & Passion College - Kilcullen
Athy Community College
St. Farnan's Post Primary School - Prosperous
Patrician Post Primary - Newbridge
St Mary's Girls' Post Primary - Naas
The projects, when completed, will represent a total investment in excess of €100 million by my Department.
My Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post primary level to determine where additional school accommodation is needed. As with other school planning areas nationwide, the demographic data for County Kildare is being kept under ongoing review by my Department to take account of updated data.
228. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for the provision of special needs places and the provision of ASD units at secondary school level in County Kildare (details supplied). [4165/18]
View answerMy Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools, with students with special educational needs, to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) plans and co-ordinates the provision of educational support services to children with special educational needs, in consultation with the relevant education partners and the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The NCSE has assured parents of the students who are due to leave primary school in Newbridge that they are continuing to progress the planning process to ensure that each child has a post primary placement appropriate to their needs for the 2018/19 school year.
My Department continues to work with the NCSE to ensure that there is appropriate planning in place to ensure that all children in Kildare who will require special class placements can access such placements in schools within their communities.
In this regard, Special Needs Units (SNUs) are currently under construction at 2 post primary schools in Kildare South including St Conleth’s Vocational School, Newbridge and Ard Scoil na Trionoide, Athy. The SNU in St Conleth’s is expected to be completed and ready for occupation by September 2018 at the latest.
Major building projects for a number of Post Primary schools in Kildare are included on the Department's 6 Year Construction Plan, and Special Needs units (SNUs) will be included in these Developments. The schools in question are:
- St Paul’s Secondary School, Monasterevin
- Naas Community College, Naas
- Cross & Passion College, Kilcullen
- Athy Community College
- St Farnan’s Post Primary, Prosperous
- Patrician Post-Primary, Newbridge.
229. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 174 of 12 April 2017, the status of the provision of new accommodation at a school (details supplied); when he expects the project to go to construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4177/18]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school to which he refers is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme.
Primarily, the purpose of the building project is to provide additional accommodation as well as the replacement of current temporary accommodation to address a projected increase in school enrolments. In addition, the project will provide special needs accommodation and refurbishment of the current school building facilities. The overall extension will in effect almost double the existing school accommodation.
The development of the school brief must have regard to the continuance of the existing school whilst construction of the extension is underway. Due to the complexities of the existing school site, issues to be considered in the development of the project brief included identifying the preferred location of the extension (having regard to a challenging site), decanting considerations, close residential context and construction traffic access.
This technical assessment process has been completed and the Project Brief is now being finalised. In that connection, the Department will be in further contact with the school in relation to the next steps to be taken to initiate the architectural planning process for the project.
230. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has set out a tendering process for schools in respect of the supply of school uniforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4178/18]
View answerI want to give parents a strong voice in ensuring that school costs are always kept to a minimum. I have put a greater emphasis on reducing the cost of school uniforms and other costs. Schools have to do everything possible to keep costs down for parents, including the use of generic items, sew on or iron on crests, and making sure that various elements of the uniform can be purchased in multiple stores.
In April 2017, I published Circular letter 32/2017 ‘Measures to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of school uniforms and other costs’.
Following the implementation of the circular, school authorities will be required to adopt the following principles of cost-effective practice which will put a greater emphasis on reducing the cost of school uniforms and other costs:
- All elements of a school uniform should be purchasable from various stores;
- Only iron on or sew on crests should be used;
- Wherever possible, generic rather than branded items should be specified (e.g. uniform, clothing, IT tablets, sports equipment etc.);
- Provide parents with a list of all required items and indicate the likely costs of these required items at best value stores;
- Provide a book rental scheme;
- Phase out, between now and September 2018, the use of workbooks which cannot be reused;
- Where an exclusive supply arrangement applies, it should be tendered for regularly and
- The Board of Management in each school will have to review the cost of items which they require parents to purchase and to make this information available to the school community.
Schools will consult with parents on their views and ask for suggestions on cost reduction initiatives. Parents will be asked for their views about school uniform
My Department has not set out a specific tendering process for schools in respect of the supply of school uniforms. Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, the Board of Management (BOM) is the body charged with the direct governance of a school and decisions on school uniform policy are a matter for the school, in consultation with parents, at local level.
231. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to recruit an extra ten full-time special needs organisers; the estimated cost of this recruitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4185/18]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of Special Needs Organisers (SENOs), for fulfilling the functions of the NCSE Council within a designated area in relation to the identification of and delivery and co-ordination of education services to children with disabilities.
The NCSE employs SENOs to provide a nationwide system of local services. Locally based SENOs consult widely with parents/guardians, teachers, health care professionals, school authorities, HSE and other relevant government agencies. There are currently 83 sanctioned SENO posts in the NCSE. These include 1 Head of Local Services, 9 Senior SENO posts and 73 SENO posts. Since 2014, the number of SENO posts have increased from 67 to 73 while the NCSE's SENO management structure was strengthened in 2014, with the creation of a new professional post of Head of Local Services to directly manage the SENO grades.
The cost of appointing 10 additional SENOs would be in the region of € 306,800 per annum, based on the 1st point of the SENO salary scale.
From 21st March 2017, the Special Education Support Service (SESS), the National Behavioural Support Service (NBSS) and the Visiting Teacher Service for Children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Children who are Blind/Visually Impaired (VTHVI) transferred from my Department to the NCSE and joined with the services already being provided by NCSE’s SENOs and administrative staff to form a new NCSE Support Service. This new service aims to develop schools’ capacity to include students with special educational needs and to promote a continuum of educational provision which is inclusive and responsive.
Considerations with regard to the full staffing implications which may arise from the amalgamation of these bodies and the incorporation of the new Support Service within the existing NCSE operational structures are ongoing and will be established during the course of the integration of the services.
Consideration regarding new recruitments and the filling of any vacancies will form part of this process.
A list of SENOs and their Contact details by county is available on the NCSE website at http://ncse.ie/seno-contact-list.
232. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to ensure reparations for victims of child sexual abuse for the abuse they suffered in day schools (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4190/18]
View answerThe State Claims Agency (SCA) is mandated to manage school child sexual abuse litigation being taken against the State. In December 2014, the Government authorised the SCA to offer “out of court” settlements to persons taking cases of school child sexual abuse against the State where their cases come within the terms of the ECHR judgment in the O’Keeffe case and are not statute barred.
In July 2015, the Government agreed that it would respond to those who instituted legal proceedings in relation to school child sexual abuse but had discontinued their cases by offering ex gratia payments. It was decided that such payments would be offered to those persons whose cases were not statute barred prior to their proceedings being discontinued and where the person can demonstrate that their circumstances involved sexual abuse of a school child by a primary or post-primary school employee in respect of whom there was a prior complaint of sexual abuse to a school authority (including an authority of a school in which the employee had previously worked) prior to the issue of the Department of Education guidelines to primary and post-primary schools in 1991 and 1992 respectively.
It its implementation of the European Court of Human Rights judgement in the case referred to by the Deputy, the State has to file bi-annual action plans with the CoE. These action plans show the measures that have been taken to strengthen child protection across different agencies/Departments. These action plans can be accessed on the Department's website at
https://www.education.ie/en/Learners/Information/Former-Residents-of-Industrial-Schools/ECHR-OKeeffe-v-Ireland/.
234. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an application for additional school accommodation in respect of a primary school (details supplied) has been received; and if so, the date on which this application will receive further consideration and-or a final decision. [4218/18]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has recently received an application for additional accommodation from the school in question.
The application will be assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.
235. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the options available for the family of a person (details supplied) that wishes to study the leaving certificate applied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4219/18]
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. My 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.
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 Education and 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. Further information on the Section 29 appeals process is available on the Department's website www.education.ie.
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 01-7718500.
In relation to the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme, the programme is one of the three leaving certificate options made available by my Department for senior cycle students. The LCA is a two-year programme designed for those students who do not wish to proceed directly to higher education or for those whose needs, aptitudes and learning styles are not fully catered for by the other two Leaving Certificate programmes.
It is a matter for each individual school to decide whether or not to put in place the LCA programme in its own school.
