Written Answers Nos. 385-404
385. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a teacher is paid only for their contracted teaching time or if it also includes additional tasks required of a teacher which are also open to inspection by her Department that may only be completed outside of class contact time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13859/20]
View answerMy Department acts as paymaster to over 3,700 schools whose Boards of Management are their direct employers. Teachers employed in the Education and Training Board sector are paid and employed by them.
There are a number of employment types within these schools such as permanent whole-time, fixed term contracts, contracts of indefinite duration (CID) and also casual substitutes.
Teachers who have been appointed to permanent whole time, fixed term and CID positions are paid in accordance with their point on the scale as set out in Departmental Circular 41/2019.
Teachers are required to provide certain minimum levels of tuition to pupils and preparation, correction etc are done outside of tuition time. In addition teachers may be required to undertake supervision and substitution in accordance with the relevant circulars. Also teachers may be assigned to specialist posts or appointed to leadership positions within the school which involve taking on additional roles and responsibilities.
All recognised schools are subject to inspection by my Department.
386. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Skills if teachers are paid by the hour for their contracted time; if they are paid a salary to remunerate them for all duties required of them by both their employer and her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13860/20]
View answerMy Department acts as paymaster to over 3,700 schools whose Boards of Management are the direct employers of the teachers in those schools. Teachers in the Education and Training Board sector are employed and paid by the ETBs.
There are a number of employment types within these schools such as permanent whole-time, fixed term contracts, contracts of indefinite duration (CID) and also casual substitutes.
Teachers who have been appointed to permanent whole time, fixed term and CID positions are paid in accordance with their point on the scale as set out in Departmental Circular 41/2019.
Teachers are required to provide certain minimum levels of tuition to pupils and preparation, correction etc are done outside of tuition time. In addition teachers may be required to undertake supervision and substitution in accordance with the relevant circulars. Teachers may also be assigned to specialist posts or appointed to leadership positions within the school which involve taking on additional roles and responsibilities.
All recognised schools are subject to inspection by my Department.
387. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the permanent building of a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13873/20]
View answerI can confirm that agreement in principle has been reached with a landowner for the acquisition of a site at Donaghcumper, Celbridge. This site is presently proposed to facilitate the permanent accommodation needs of St. Patrick's National School, Celbridge Community School and St. Raphael's Special School on a campus type arrangement.
Work is progressing and is ongoing in respect of technical matters crucial to the delivery of the acquisition. We are continuing to actively engage regularly with Kildare Co. Co. and the Landowner - in relation to same. It remains a priority for the Department to make progress on this acquisition. Due to the commercially sensitive nature of site acquisitions in general, I am unable to elaborate further but please rest assured that this project is being given our full attention.
388. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13879/20]
View answerMy Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education including a programme for children with complex special educational needs.
The programme is a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years with the eligibility criteria widened to include approximately 9,000 additional primary aged children with complex needs.
The programme aims to ensure, in so far as possible, that these children can reintegrate/transition into their planned education setting for the next school year with their peers.
In-school or home-based supports by teachers and SNAs will help to prevent regression among children with complex special educational needs.
The eligibility criteria includes the following categories of children:
1. Pupils with a diagnosis of Autism
2. Pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties
3. Any child in special school or a special class in a Primary School
4. Children transitioning into a special class or special school from early year’s settings
5. Pupils in primary school mainstream classes who present with the following disabilities:
- Children with Down syndrome
- Children who are Deaf or most severe hard of hearing
- Children who are blind or have a most severe visual impairment
- Children who have a moderate general learning disability
- Children with severe emotional behavioural difficulties
Following a decision from Cabinet this week the home based summer programme is also open to children with down syndrome who are attending post primary school.
A child must meet at least one of the eligibility criteria.
If a Parent is in doubt about their child’s eligibility, they should consult their child’s school or contact my Department. Contact details are available on my Departments website
https://www.education.ie/en/Parents/Services/summerprovision/summer-education-programme-2020.html
Full information on summer provision and its various strands, including guidance information for parents, is available at Gov.ie/summerprovision
In relation to support for preschool children the Department of Children and Youth Affairs launched a dedicated campaign and website to support transition called “Lets Get Ready” which has received a positive response so far.
This resource has been prepared jointly with my Department. It is universal in scope, and is aimed at children returning to preschool as well as children returning to or transitioning to school.
Information on the site is at a level for all to understand and include a section called ‘Ready for Everyone’ to specifically support transitions for children with special / additional needs.
The website, which is being updated and reviewed by the DCYA based on the feedback from various sources, is available at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/74b0d-ready-for-everyone
389. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to providing a permanent subsidised school bus from Watergrasshill village to Fermoy, County Cork, (details supplied); and she will make a statement on the matter. [13881/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
The purpose of my 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.
In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were 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.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who complete the application and payment process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using a random selection process.
Under the terms of the scheme, the availability of concessionary transport varies from year to year based on the capacity on the buses running on all of the various routes and the number of eligible children accommodated on each route.
A minimum number 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.
All school transport services are reviewed over the summer months. Arising from this review, routes may be altered, extended or withdrawn depending on the number and location of eligible children who will be availing of school transport for the following school year.
390. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills if correspondence from a person (details supplied) regarding the impact on the loss of bus services for several Dublin schools will be addressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13887/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were 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 my 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.
Under the terms of the scheme, children are eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria (3.2km at primary and 4.8km at post-primary) and are attending their nearest school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Distance eligibility is determined by Bus Éireann by measuring the shortest traversable route from the child’s home to the relevant school.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application and payment process on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Bus Éireann has confirmed that the services referred to by the Deputy were services that were operated by Dublin Bus and that Dublin Bus has withdrawn these services. These services were operated separately by Dublin Bus and children paid fares or availed of a range of weekly tickets when travelling. These services do not fall under the remit of my Department’s School Transport Scheme.
391. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of approval for works at a school (details supplied). [13889/20]
View answerI can confirm that the Stage 1/2a report has been received from the school in question.
The Department sought clarification in relation to some of the details included in the consultant’s report. When this information is received it will be reviewed and officials in my Department will be in contact with the school to progress the project.
392. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address a matter regarding a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13891/20]
View answerThe school may apply to my Department's Summer Works team to have the funds used for an alternative outdoor related project. Any application in this respect must comply with my Department's requirements for funding under the scheme, in particular our Technical Guidance Documents. Aspects of the work described by the Deputy may not do so, but a decision will be made once the application is received and considered in that context.
393. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Skills the stage her plans are at to provide a secondary school in Newtownmountkennedy, County Wicklow; the proposed location; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13904/20]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, a major building project at the existing post primary school, Coláiste Chraobh Abhann , Kilcoole, Co.Wicklow is included in my Department's building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP). The project is at preliminary design stage. When the project is completed, the school will have capacity to accommodate 1,000 pupils. In tandem with this, my Department is finalising the acquisition of additional site area for the development.
Newtownmountkennedy is located in the Kilcoole school planning area and it is intended that the building project at Coláiste Chraobh Abhann will meet the post primary accommodation needs in this school planning area.
394. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a Montessori preschool contracted under the early childcare and education scheme which is inspected by her Department comes under the term school under the Education Act 1998; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13918/20]
View answerThe relevant section of the Education Act 1998, (Section (2)) as amended, provides the following definition of a school:
“ “school” means an establishment which—
(a) provides primary education to its students and which may also provide early childhood education……but does not include a school or institution established in accordance with the Children Acts, 1908 to 1989, or a school or institution established or maintained by the Health Service Executive in accordance with the Health Acts, 1947 to 1996, or the Child and Family Agency in accordance with the Child Care Act 1991.”
If an establishment comes within this statutory definition, then it is a school within the meaning of the 1998 Act.
Inspection of Early Learning and Care settings by the Inspectorate of the Department of Education commenced in April 2016. The Inspectorate of the Department of Education was commissioned in 2015, by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (now the Department of Children, Disability, Equality and Integration) to develop and implement an inspection model and associated programme of inspection in Early Learning and Care settings on contract to deliver the Free Preschool in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme. The grant agreement for the ECCE Programme signed by preschools availing of this funding clearly sets out the terms and conditions of this funding which include cooperation with inspection by the Inspectorate of the Department of Education.
395. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Skills when she will issue clear guidance to schools relating to the July provision in view of the fact many schools have staff in place but appear to be refusing to do the programme due to the fact they are not prepared to put their staff and students at risk; the way in which she will ensure schools operate the programme in the context of Covid-19; the measures which will be in place in schools to ensure staff and students are safe; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13920/20]
View answerMy Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education including a programme for children with complex special educational needs.
The programme is a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years with the eligibility criteria widened to include approximately 9,000 additional primary aged children with complex needs.
All special schools and primary schools with special classes are invited to provide the school based summer provision for their students. This programme will run for a minimum of two weeks and can extend up to four weeks where the schools, teachers and Special Needs Assistants are willing to participate.
My Department issued guidance to these schools to support management and staff in the delivery of summer programmes for children with special educational needs and those experiencing educational disadvantage as we continue to operate in line with public health advice to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
This guidance includes information in respect of hand hygiene, physical distancing, use of PPE and a risk assessment template.
The programme is reliant on schools, teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) choosing to participate on a voluntary basis.
It is therefore a matter for the Board of Management of the school having regard to the resources available whether or not it will participate in the programme.
To date 237 schools have indicated they intend to provide the school based summer provision which is an increase on 2019. The estimated number of children expected to benefit is approximately 3,800.
Home-based provision is available where a child’s local school is not providing a programme or does not have the capacity to accommodate a child in a planned programme this year.
In this situation my Department will provide grant funding towards the engagement by Parents of a registered teacher / SNA to provide home based support for 10 hours a week for 4 weeks.
Following a decision from Cabinet this week the home based summer programme is also open to children with down syndrome who are attending post primary school.
Full information on summer provision and its various strands, including guidance information for parents, is available at Gov.ie/summerprovision.
396. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a home-based July provision will be granted for a child (details supplied); if she will take into account the underlying medical conditions of the child in respect of the reason home based July provision is required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13928/20]
View answerMy Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education including a programme for children with complex special educational needs.
The programme is a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years with the eligibility criteria widened to include approximately 9,000 additional primary aged children with complex needs.
The programme aims to ensure, in so far as possible, that these children can reintegrate/transition into their planned education setting for the next school year with their peers.
In-school or home-based supports by teachers and SNAs will help to prevent regression among children with complex special educational needs.
The eligibility criteria includes the following categories of children:
1. Pupils with a diagnosis of Autism
2. Pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties
3. Any child in special school or a special class in a Primary School
4. Children transitioning into a special class or special school from early year’s settings
5. Pupils in primary school mainstream classes who present with the following disabilities:
- Children with Down syndrome
- Children who are Deaf or most severe hard of hearing
- Children who are blind or have a most severe visual impairment
- Children who have a moderate general learning disability
- Children with severe emotional behavioural difficulties
Following a decision from Cabinet this week the home based summer programme is also open to children with down syndrome who are attending post primary school.
A child must meet at least one of the eligibility criteria.
Where exceptional circumstances, including underlying health conditions, mean that a child cannot avail of the programme in their school home-based provision will be available.
If a Parent is in doubt about their child’s eligibility, they should consult their child’s school or contact my Department. Contact details are available on my Departments website
https://www.education.ie/en/Parents/Services/summerprovision/summer-education-programme-2020.html
397. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the process for out-of-school learners to engage with in order to be considered for calculated grades will be communicated to stakeholders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13936/20]
View answer428. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a matter (details supplied) will be examined for subjects studied outside school will be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14173/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 397 and 428 together.
A system of Calculated Grades was put in place by my predecessor and the purpose of this process is to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education in a way that is fair and equitable to all Leaving Certificate students.
For the calculated grades system to be operated with integrity, an estimated percentage mark, based on credible, satisfactory evidence, can only be accepted from an appropriate source. This is necessary to ensure fairness to all students.
The Calculated Grades Executive Office (CGEO) in the Department of Education has developed a comprehensive guide to calculated grades for out of school learners – the students who are studying entirely outside of school – and has contacted each student individually on 25 June to invite them to apply for calculated grades. The closing date for applications was last Thursday (2 July 2020) and applications are now being processed.
In cases where a student is studying one or more subjects outside of school, school principals were asked to make every effort to provide an estimated mark for that subject provided there was sufficient, credible evidence available from an appropriate source. If the principal was unable to provide an estimated mark for any student they were asked to notify the Calculated Grades Executive Office of my Department.
As part of its commitment to ensure that a calculated grade is provided to as many students as possible, the CGEO are currently undertaking a review of these reports with the schools involved to ensure that the correct procedures were followed.
Despite every effort being made by schools and by the Department of Education, to provide calculated grades to as many students as possible, there will be a small number of cases where there is no credible evidence to support a calculated grade in a particular subject. To attempt to give a calculated grade in such cases would be unfair to all other candidates. Such students will have an opportunity to sit the Leaving Certificate examinations when it is safe to do so.
No decisions have been issued by the Calculated Grades Office in respect of any of these candidates to date (6 July 2020).
My Department has continued to engage with third level stakeholders regarding the Calculated Grades process for students seeking to progress to Higher Education. This has resulted in an agreed common approach in relation to students who have studied some or all of their Leaving Certificate 2020 subjects outside school, and who have not been able to obtain calculated grades in those subjects. Students who have applied for a calculated grade, with a view to satisfying matriculation/basic minimum entry requirements and for whom the Department has been unable to award a Calculated Grade in the subject(s), will be granted an exemption in the subject(s) solely for matriculation/basic minimum entry purposes. The subject(s) for which exemption is granted will not attract points and the exemption cannot be used to satisfy additional programme requirements over and above the matriculation/basic minimum entry requirements.
These exemptions will be granted automatically by the CAO to those students who cannot be provided with a calculated grade.
398. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to including Limerick Institute of Technology in plans for the Munster technological university in addition to Cork Institute of Technology and IT Tralee. [13937/20]
View answerUnder the statutory framework provided in the Technological Universities Act 2018, two or more Institutes of Technology (IoTs) may jointly seek TU designation through a prescribed legislative process. Section 29 of the 2018 Act provides for the application jointly by two or more applicant institutes to the Minister of Education and Skills for an order seeking designation as a TU subject to their jointly meeting specified eligibility criteria. Section 38 of the 2018 Act provides that an applicant institute and an established technological university may apply to the Minister for an order.
As autonomous higher education institutions established under statute, it remains a matter for the governing body of an IoT to set the institute’s particular strategic direction within the higher education landscape, including whether or not, and how, to seek TU designation through the prescribed legal processes.
In this context, Athlone Institute of Technology and Limerick Institute of Technology formed a TU development consortium last year. The consortium is understood to have a date in view of October 2020 to make an application seeking TU designation under Section 29 of the 2018 Act.
400. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the decision to cancel the tender competition for school transport services that issued on 26 February 2020 will mean a new and open application process will follow; if so, when it will be advertised; if previous tender applicants and holders of contracts will be notified directly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13945/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were 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.
Bus Éireann has confirmed that it currently intends that the operating boards previously included in the Tender Competition that has now been cancelled will form part of the new tender competition for school transport services.
This process will begin at the end of 2020. The tender stage of the process will take place in the first quarter of 2021 and will be open to all applicants that qualify onto the new Qualification Panel.
401. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a decision has been made on a staffing appeal by a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13947/20]
View answerI am very conscious of the staffing schedule and the need to prioritise teacher allocations in primary schools given their vital role in communities around the country. I am looking at how best to make further progress in reducing the primary teacher ratio in the context of the Programme for Government implementation.
The 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 appeal from the school referred to by the Deputy was considered by the Primary Staffing Appeals Board and deemed ineligible as the appeal did not meet the criteria published in Circular 18/2020. The school has been notified of this decision. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board is independent of the Department and its decision is final.
402. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a decision has been made on a staffing appeal by a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13948/20]
View answerI am very conscious of the staffing schedule and the need to prioritise teacher allocations in primary schools given their vital role in communities around the country. I am looking at how best to make further progress in reducing the primary teacher ratio in the context of the Programme for Government implementation.
The 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 appeal received from the school referred to by the Deputy has been refused by the Primary Staffing Appeals Board on the basis that the grounds of the appeal do not warrant a departure from the staffing schedule. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board is independent of the Department and its decision is final.
403. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a decision has been made on a staffing appeal by a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13949/20]
View answerI am very conscious of the staffing schedule and the need to prioritise teacher allocations in primary schools given their vital role in communities around the country. I am looking at how best to make further progress in reducing the primary teacher ratio in the context of the Programme for Government implementation.
The 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 appeal from the school referred to by the Deputy was considered by the Primary Staffing Appeals Board and deemed ineligible as the appeal did not meet the criteria published in Circular 18/2020. The school has been notified of this decision. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board is independent of the Department and its decision is final.
404. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address concerns expressed in correspondence by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13950/20]
View answerI understand that the Deputy is referring to the Gaeltacht Learning Period which must be fulfilled by students who are currently in the second year of the primary Professional Master of Education and due to graduate in 2021.
Completion of the Gaeltacht placement is an important element of programmes of initial teacher education for primary teachers and therefore a requirement for registration with the Teaching Council.
As you may be aware, my Department and the Teaching Council issued a joint statement on 23 March 2020 advising that in light of the emergency measures being adopted in relation to Covid-19, students who are in the final year of their Initial Teacher Education programme will not be required to complete the usual Gaeltacht Learning Period in order to graduate in summer 2020.
In the case of student teachers in all other years of their ITE programme, the Gaeltacht requirement is being postponed, to be fulfilled at a later point in the programme. It will be a matter for each Higher Education Institution (HEI) to examine the available options in terms of rescheduling Gaeltacht placements for students. My Department will continue to liaise with the HEIs on this matter to ensure that clarity if provided for students.
