Written Answers Nos. 221-240
222. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills when refunds will be issued to parents in respect of school bus fees for the Covid-19 closure period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6040/20]
View answer319. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills when Bus Éireann will receive approval to issue school bus ticket refunds in view of the fact that schools will not reopen before September 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6548/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 319 together.
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills.
In the current school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, are transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.
The purpose of the Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
The decision taken by the Government to close schools with effect from 13th March 2020 was taken in the interest of protecting our pupils, their families, teachers and those members of the wider community and is one of the many measures taken to support efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Given that the school transport services have not been available to children from 13th March, it was recently decided that at the end of the current school year a refund for that period of closure will be issued to parents. The Department is currently engaging with Bus Éireann in considering how best to facilitate these refunds.
223. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding Covid-19 measures in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6052/20]
View answerOn the 1st May 2020, the Taoiseach announced as part of the "Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business" that schools will commence opening on a phased basis at the beginning of the 2020/2021 academic year.
The Department is currently working with the Education Partners and relevant stakeholders in planning for this re-opening which will be based on public health advice. As part of this engagement, each of the education partners were given the opportunity to outline the key issues that they would like to have considered in the context of re-opening schools.
The issues raised by the education partners included many of those referred to in the correspondence provided by the Deputy in his question. These will now be worked through in detail as part of the development of the roadmap for reopening schools.
A core objective will be to ensure that schools and other education settings can re-open and operate in a safe manner that is consistent with public health advice.
224. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a copy of all correspondence between 1 April 2020 and 8 May 2020 relating to planning for the 2020 leaving certificate between any combination of him and his office and or persons (details supplied) will be provided. [6054/20]
View answerThe Deputy has asked to see correspondence relating to planning for the 2020 Leaving Certificate.
The implementation of the Government Decision on the postponement of the Leaving Certificate and the provision of calculated grades is now underway, including in collaboration with education partners. An Executive Office has been established within my Department for the purposes of operating the calculated grades model which is working through the detail of the processes required to give effect to the Government’s Decision. The advisory group on State examinations continues to meet, and there are engagements ongoing with stakeholders. Detailed guidance is being issued to teachers, deputy principals and principals on how to operate the calculated grades system.
In this context, my focus is on ensuring learners and educational professionals are supported in this process, and I do not consider that it is appropriate at this stage to consider the release of any of the correspondence requested by the Deputy until all matters related to the Leaving Certificate and calculated grades for 2020 have been completed.
In considering the Deputy’s request, I have had regard to the guidance on parliamentary questions which seek copies of correspondence, which was approved by the Ceann Comhairle during the last Dáil and circulated by the Houses of the Oireachtas service on 16 October 2019. I am mindful in particular of the need to provide a substantive answer to the Deputy’s request for information concerning planning for the Leaving Certificate.
I have been very open in this House about the decision-making process which underpinned my decision-making and that of the Government. I was clear that I made every effort to run the 2020 Leaving Certificate as close as possible to the way the examinations were originally intended to be held. On 10 April, having regard to the information available to me at that time, I announced the postponement of the State examinations and certain other alternative arrangements. I established an advisory group on State examinations, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, to undertake stakeholder engagement and advise me on the range of issues which arise in the context of examinations and assessment in the context of the pandemic.
On 8 May, following a Government Decision, I announced the postponement of the Leaving Certificate and indicated that students would be given the option of accepting calculated grades or sitting Leaving Certificate written examinations at a later date. I had regard to the assessments which were provided to me that the Leaving Certificate examinations cannot be held in a reliable and valid manner, nor in a way that would be equitable for students.
I have published material which was important in informing my decision-making, including a summary of the challenges in organising conventional examinations
(https://www.education.ie/en/Learners/Information/State-Examinations/challenges-of-organising-examinations-with-social-distancing-requirements.pdf )
and advice related to the mental health and wellbeing of young people
(https://www.education.ie/en/Learners/Information/State-Examinations/wellbeing-mental-health-young-people-leaving-cert-covid-19.pdf).
I also sought legal advice from the Attorney General.
225. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps taken or procedures investigated to support the resumption of home tuition for students whose needs are best served in person rather than by remote learning. [6067/20]
View answer303. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps taken or procedures investigated to support the resumption of home tuition for students whose needs are best served by in person rather than through remote learning. [6479/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 225 and 303 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that decisions in relation to schools re-opening and operating will be underpinned by the ongoing advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) and the Department of Health.
Engagement is underway with stakeholders in the education sector to develop contingency plans for the re-opening and operation of schools, including schools for children with Autism, in an environment that may require social distancing and other public health requirements.
This work will be informed by the National Return to Work Safely Protocol as well as guidance and experience from other jurisdictions. A core objective of the contingency plans will be to ensure that schools and other education settings can re-open and operate in a safe manner that is consistent with public health advice.
In relation to the reopening of early learning and care and school-age childcare services my colleague, Dr. Katherine Zappone, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, has established an Advisory Group on Reopening Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare services.
Amongst other roles, the Group will be developing guidelines to support providers, their staff, parents and children return to familiar, albeit different, environments, in a phased manner over the coming months.
As the first step to prepare to re-open childcare services, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) is encouraging service providers to review the Return to Work Safely Protocol, published by Government this week, but to be aware that assistance will be made available to them in the coming weeks to meet its requirements.
Various childcare specific guidance cleared by Public Health experts will be issued to services by DCYA over the coming weeks. DCYA is also planning an opportunity for public consultation.
In the interim, funding for the provision of Home Tuition services will continue to be provided where tuition is delivered by distance learning.
227. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the planned completion date for a new extension at a school (details supplied) in the context of Covid-19 disruptions. [6107/20]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the project to which he refers has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects.
The NDFA is currently undertaking the second phase of the process of appointment of multi-disciplinary technical advisors (design teams) for these projects. This process will involve a number of call-off competitions for bundles of projects from a framework. I am able to inform the Deputy that this appointment process has been unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic as the work involved has been carried out through written procedures and via remote access interactions where necessary.
Thereafter, the NDFA will ensure that the project progresses to design stage, obtains the necessary statutory planning permission, and moves the project onward to tender and construction in due course. As the project is at an early stage in the delivery process, it is not possible at this time to give a date for its completion.
Please be assured that the NDFA will be engaging directly with the school authority to keep it informed of progress.
228. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the predicted points system for those repeating the leaving certificate in a different school than their first sitting of the exams (details supplied). [6108/20]
View answer236. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will put in place special arrangements for students who intended to repeat the leaving certificate in 2020 to sit the exams this year in order that they can be considered for entry to third level for the academic year 2020-21; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6168/20]
View answer297. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education and Skills if clarity will be provided for students who are repeating the leaving certificate in a new school and that are doing core subjects outside of school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6432/20]
View answer356. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education and Skills the plans in place for leaving certificate students who are repeating the year in a new school; if advice will be sought from their former school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6698/20]
View answer388. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which he plans to address the needs and concerns of students who had planned to repeat the leaving certificate in 2020 in a new school with the hope of achieving higher points in view of the fact that the teachers in the new school would have no background knowledge of the student and the student may be relatively unknown to their teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6908/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 228, 236, 297, 356 and 388 together.
Where a student is studying one or more subjects outside of a recognised school, the Department will be flexible in accepting estimated marks and rankings from other schools or colleges, and will look at this issue on a case-by-case basis. In general, I can say that, provided an estimated mark and ranking can be generated from a teacher in a way that is fair to all candidates, my Department will seek to provide a calculated grade. Students will be able to use this calculated grade in the same way as a Leaving Certificate grade to satisfy minimum entry requirements.
If a student has moved school recently and the length of time is such that the teacher considers that do not have enough evidence to make a sound judgement, then the teacher should consult school management about acquiring additional information form the student’s previous school.
229. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills the measures in place to deal with mature students in the context of the leaving certificate announcement; if predictive grading will be implemented for mature students repeating their leaving certificate; if particular measures will be put in place where a predictive grade is not possible and in circumstances in which the person needs a result for this coming academic year in third level studies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6126/20]
View answer237. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the provisions in place for mature leaving certificate external candidates; if a tutor will be permitted to submit a predicted grade on the students behalf in circumstances in which an external candidate is being tutored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6159/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 229 and 237 together.
All reasonable efforts will be made to provide students with a calculated grade. In the case of students taking a subject outside school, the guidance on calculated grades provides details of how schools should proceed if school management authorities are confident that there is sufficient evidence of the student’s achievement to make an objective judgement.
In other cases where there is no identifiable or appropriate teacher or school engagement such cases can be considered on a case by case basis. Candidates also have the option to sit the traditional examinations when it is safe to hold them at a future date.
230. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills if students that wish to pursue a postgraduate course in the United Kingdom or in other EU countries but are permanently resident here are eligible for assistance under the normal conditions of the SUSI scheme; if not, the reason postgraduate students are not afforded the same assistance as undergraduate students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6128/20]
View answerUnder the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
In relation to funding for postgraduate courses pursued in the United Kingdom and other EU countries, the payment of tuition fees is limited to approved courses of higher education at an approved institution in the State, other than for exceptional provision in respect of postgraduate course in Northern Ireland. The Student Grant Scheme does not extend to postgraduate study outside of Ireland. The Scheme operates in the context of limited public funding and competing priorities.
However, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education, including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is available from the student’s local Tax Office or from the Revenue Commissioners website, www.revenue.ie.
231. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the leaving certificate. [6137/20]
View answer243. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position for a mature student studying Irish regarding grading for a leaving certificate subject; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6215/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 231 and 243 together.
Where a student is studying a subject such as Irish outside of a recognised school, the Department will be flexible in accepting estimated marks and rankings from other schools or colleges, and will look at this issue on a case-by-case basis. In general, I can say that, provided an estimated mark and ranking from a teacher can be generated in a way that is fair to all candidates, my Department will seek to provide a calculated grade. Students will be able to use this calculated grade in the same way as a Leaving Certificate grade to satisfy minimum entry requirements.
232. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) will be allocated more resources for the coming academic year in order to avoid split class arrangements within the school. [6141/20]
View answerThe criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. 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 operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. The staffing schedule includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board.
On the basis of the school's enrolments on 30th September 2019, there will be no change to the school's mainstream staffing for the 2020/21 school year.
233. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding a school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6142/20]
View answerThe criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. 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 operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. The staffing schedule includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board.
The Primary Staffing Appeals Board considered a staffing appeal from the school referred to by the Deputy. The Appeals Board has deemed the appeal ineligible and the school has been notified of this decision.
The Primary Staffing Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.
234. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the case of a person (details supplied) will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6144/20]
View answerThe redeployment arrangements is the first method used to fill vacancies in the primary school system.
Permanent teaching vacancies at primary level are filled, in the first instance, by permanent/CID holding teachers that are surplus in their own schools.
Any transfer from one panel to another can only be done by agreement of both Patrons.
235. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a project by a person (details supplied) in relation to outcomes in respect of the deaf community and a proposal on the measures to help create a more integrated society. [6150/20]
View answerVery significant levels of financial provision are made to ensure that all children with special educational needs, including children who are deaf/hard of hearing, can be provided with an education appropriate to their needs.
My Department currently spends approximately €1.9 Billion - almost a fifth - of its annual educational and training budget on making additional provision for children with special educational needs.
This represents an increase of over 50% in total expenditure since 2011, at which point €1.247 Billion per annum was provided.
Included in this provision is an extensive range of supports to assist students who are deaf or hard of hearing, which is referenced in the findings and recommendations contained in the politics and society research project of the 6th year student, referred to my the Deputy.
In line with my Department's policy that children with special educational needs access appropriate education intervention in mainstream settings where possible, many deaf or hard of hearing pupils are integrated into mainstream classes at primary and post-primary level, while other children who are deaf or hard of hearing and have more complex needs may attend special schools or classes, which have lower pupil teacher ratios.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) provides additional special educational needs teaching supports to mainstream schools, and provides for special class and special school placements and Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support to all schools.
In the 2019/20 school year, there are 1,618 special classes in mainstream schools, of which 17 are for students who are deaf. Three of these classes are new classes, opened in September 2019.
Of the 124 special schools nationally, there are two special schools for the deaf.
The NCSE’s Support Service includes Visiting Teachers, who are qualified teachers with particular skills and knowledge of the development and education of children with varying degrees of hearing loss and/or visual impairment. They offer longitudinal support to children, their families and schools from the time of referral through to the end of post-primary education.
Each visiting teacher (VT) is responsible for a particular region and is allocated a caseload of students. The VT supports children/young people, parents, guardians, teachers and other professionals involved with the child.
The frequency and nature of support takes into account a range of factors based on the individual’s needs. The work of the VT involves liaising with other professionals and agencies such as audiological scientists, ophthalmology services, speech and language therapists, low vision specialists, psychologists, early intervention teams, school staffs, and with parents.
Included in the brief of the Support Service is to enhance the quality of learning and teaching of students with special educational needs through the provision of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and support for teachers.
The NCSE provide direct support to schools and individual teachers in as flexible a way as possible, offering telephone advice, a school visit from a member of the team, an in-service course for individual teachers, or whole-school training. Whole-school training will ensure that all teachers are equipped to cater for the pupils’ educational needs, as they progress through primary and post primary school.
Among the courses towards which funding is provided to schools are courses in Irish Sign Language, which are available throughout the country through a variety of providers.
Additional supports provided by my Department include funding to schools for assistive technology such as radio aids and Soundfield systems, special transport arrangements for pupils, and enhanced levels of capitation in special classes and special schools.
Funding is also provided by my Department for a weekly home tuition service whereby tutors visit the homes of deaf and hard of hearing pre-school children and school-going pupils to provide training in Irish Sign Language (ISL) for these children, their siblings and parents. My Department grants the funding to parents in order that they can pay the tutors directly.
Reasonable accommodations and supports are made available to support children with special educational needs, inlcuidng students who are deaf/hard of hearing, to participate in state exams.
The NCSE published Policy Advice on the Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children in Ireland which makes a number of recommendations for the improvement of educational provision for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children, including recommendations relating to ISL provision.
Separately, the Comprehensive review of the SNA Scheme made a number of recommendations relating to students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Relating specifically to students who are deaf, the NCSE recommends Irish Sign Language qualified assistants in schools, to support profoundly deaf students whose primary language is ISL and that this provision should be aligned to the requirements of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017.
In line with the recommendations of this review and the requirements of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017, a scheme will be developed to provide Irish Sign Language support for students attending recognised schools, whose primary language is Irish Sign Language.
The Fund for Students with Disabilities supports students at third level to participate fully in their academic programmes and aims to ensure that students are not disadvantaged by reason of a disability.
A new undergraduate programme in Dublin City University (DCU), launched in 2019, enables deaf and hard of hearing people who use Irish Sign Language (ISL) to enter primary teaching.
Specialised Training for people with disabilities is funded by the National Training Fund, which targets unemployed people with disabilities.
238. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if amendments will be made to the requirement to submit payslips for work done by a student applying for a grant to SUSI in view of the impossibility of contacting some previous employers, for example, pubs due to them being closed as a result of Covid-19. [6198/20]
View answerStudent grant applications for academic year 2020/21 will be assessed based on income earned in 2019.
The assessment of means under the student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources, with certain social welfare and health service executive payments being exempt. In the assessment of means, a deduction can be made for holiday earnings made by the applicant from employment outside of term time but within the reference period. The 2020 Scheme allows students to disregard holiday earnings up to €4,500 from the assessment of reckonable income. The student must also have been in education when this income was earned.
In recent years, SUSI has vastly reduced the documentation required from students. Evidence of holiday earnings is only requested where it will lead to a better rate of grant being awarded to the student.
I understand from SUSI that to confirm holiday earnings, the student must submit a holiday earnings form completed by their employer. The form is available on SUSI’s website at the following link https://susi.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Form-Statement-of-Holiday-Earnings-2020-V2.pdf. Where it is not possible for the student’s employer to complete this form, SUSI will accept a copy of the student’s relevant pay-slips.
If the student is unable to return the completed form or pay-slips within the timeframe noted on their checklist letter, they can contact SUSI’s Support Desk and an extension will be arranged.
If the student does not have access to a photocopier, they can send the original pay-slips to SUSI. SUSI will then make a copy of the pay-slips and return the originals to the student.
In certain circumstances, such as the student is self-isolating, cocooning or does not have access to a printer, the student can email a copy of the completed form or pay-slips to SUSI.
Apart from the Student Grant Scheme, students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists full-time and part-time students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Details of this fund are available from the Access Office in the third level institution attended. Institutions have the autonomy to maximise the flexibility in the Student Assistance Fund to enable HEIs to support students during the COVID-19 situation.
In addition, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from students’ local Tax Offices or from the Revenue Commissioners website,
www.revenue.ie
239. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding English language schools and their plans to reopen in line with public health guidance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6202/20]
View answer246. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration has been given to the scheduled reopening of language schools; his views in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6223/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 239 and 246 together.
The timeline and arrangements for the re-opening of English language education providers will be guided by public health advice applicable at a given time. On May 1st, the Taoiseach announced the roadmap for the gradual lifting of the current Covid-19 restrictions. This roadmap sets out a number of phases with the re-opening of the wider education system contained in the later phases to coincide broadly with the beginning of the new academic year.
My Department will engage with relevant stakeholders within the English language education sector regarding their development of plans for re-opening. It is anticipated that these plans will be informed by the "Return to Work Safely Protocol" recently published jointly by the Department of Health and the Department of Enterprise, Business & Innovation, and designed to support measures being put in place that will prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. Experience of the re-opening of educational facilities in other jurisdictions will also be relevant.ance and experience from other jurisdictions.
