Seán Sherlock
Question:553. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education the number of requests made to sit formal leaving certificate examinations by county in tabular form. [21932/20]
View answerState Examinations
Questions (553)
Written answers
The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
Special Educational Needs
Questions (554)
Denis Naughten
Question:554. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education the number of exceptional reviews of mainstream special needs assistants allocation applications submitted to the NCSE by 22 May 2020; the number and decisions issued to date; the number of applications that have been appealed by the schools; the number and decisions issued to date; the number of appeal decisions in which the school has sought an independent examination of the appeal process and decisions issued to date; the corresponding figures in each case for review applications submitted after 22 May 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21942/20]
View answerWritten answers
The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews.
As part of that responsibility, applications for the exceptional review process for SNA support are made directly to the NCSE. I will forward the Deputy’s question to the NCSE for their direct reply.
It is expected that schools will review and reprioritise the deployment of SNAs within mainstream settings and allocate resources to ensure those with the greatest level of need receive the greatest level of support. Providing access to SNA support continues to be based on primary care needs as outlined in DES Circular 0030/2014.
Schools may apply to the NCSE for additionality where they can demonstrate that the current allocation does not meet additional care needs within the mainstream classes in the school. Applications for additionality arising from significant new or emerging additional care needs, which cannot be catered within existing allocations, will be dealt with by way of an exceptional review process.
The exceptional review process for mainstream allocations will be available to schools throughout the 2020/21 school year.
Detailed information on the NCSE exceptional review process is published on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie.
A school can appeal the outcome of an exceptional review and details of how to do this are here https://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/GuidanceSchoolAppealing-Exceptional-Review-outcome.docx
The NCSE received applications during the lockdown period. These applications were received before and after the 22 May 2020. The NCSE have provided the information below regarding applications received for exceptional review.
The number of applications for exceptional review received by the NCSE at 26 August 2020 was 1080 and over 1060 applications has been processed. The number of schools who had received an increased SNA allocation was over 550. As part of the exceptional review process, SENOs will be making visits to schools which commenced with schools reopening.
Schools Building Projects
Questions (555)
Seán Sherlock
Question:555. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education the status of a school project (details supplied). [21943/20]
View answerWritten answers
The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included on the Department's building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP).
My Department has been liaising with the Patron of the school relating to the site proposed for the construction of the new school and has recently received clarification in this regard. This will facilitate the preparation of the accommodation brief for the project and my Department will be in further contact with the patron as this process progresses.
Schools Building Projects
Questions (556)
Seán Sherlock
Question:556. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education the status of school projects (details supplied). [21944/20]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to advise the Deputy that the current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040, including those projects in Cork, may be viewed on my Department's website www.education.ie. This information is listed on a county basis and is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.
Regarding each individual project it is subject to its own particular circumstances. The cost of each project and the expected completion of each project will be different depending on those circumstances.
The Capital Programme also provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms, including accommodation for pupils with special educational needs, if required, for schools where an immediate enrolment need, has been identified or where an additional teacher has been appointed. Details of schools listed on this programme can be found on my Department's website www.education.ie and this information is also updated regularly.
Special Educational Needs Staff
Questions (557)
Bernard Durkan
Question:557. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education if a further SNA allocation will be facilitated in the case of a school (details supplied) in view of the fact the current allocation is insufficient to manage four pupils who require full-time support throughout the school day; if an exceptional request will be facilitated in view of the health and safety requirements of the children involved including one being a flight risk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21963/20]
View answerWritten answers
The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. My Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.
SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management of the school. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school.
The NCSE have advised that an Exceptional Review application was received by the NCSE in May 2020. The outcome of the application issued to the school in June advising that the 19/20 allocation is being retained by the school for the 20/21 school year. The school submitted an appeal on 17 July 2020.
Due to the extraordinary times we are in and the Covid pandemic, the SENOs are working to the best of their ability to liaise with each school that logged an appeal, the appeal for Newtown National School has been assigned to an Appeals Officer who will process same and bring it through to completion.
The exceptional review process for mainstream allocations will be available to schools throughout the 2020/21 school year.
Detailed information on the NCSE exceptional review process is published on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie.
A school can appeal the outcome of an exceptional review and details of how to do this are here https://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/GuidanceSchoolAppealing-Exceptional-Review-outcome.docx
School Accommodation
Questions (558)
Brendan Griffin
Question:558. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education her views on a matter regarding accommodation for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21964/20]
View answerWritten answers
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the accommodation needs of the school in question have been addressed to enable all pupils attended school on a full time basis.
School Staff
Questions (559)
Brendan Griffin
Question:559. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education her views on a matter regarding a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21970/20]
View answerWritten answers
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 school referred to by the Deputy has a mainstream staffing of 3 classroom teachers (a teaching Principal and 2 mainstream teachers) for the current year on the basis of an enrolment of 67 pupils on 30th September 2019.
School Transport
Questions (560)
Seán Sherlock
Question:560. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education if extra buses will be allocated for school transport in the north and east Cork area in view of the demographic demands and the capacity constraints due to Covid-19. [21974/20]
View answerWritten answers
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. 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.
Based on the public health advice published in early July, my Department has been planning for School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/2021 school year to fully operate , but with additional measures and hygiene requirements in place. The Department has been engaging intensively with Bus Éireann in regard to the logistics for the safe operation of School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/2021 school year.
Updated health advice was received from NPHET on the 18th August, which impacts on the operation of post-primary school transport services. This advice stated that for secondary school students on school transport, strict distancing should be ensured in line with that on public transport along with the wearing of face coverings and that primary school students should distance where possible.
On foot of this advice it was decided by Government that the operation of post-primary school transport services would commence operation when schools re-open pending the development of additional measures to support physical distancing on the post primary buses. My Department is engaging with Bus Éireann to implement these measures on a rolling basis to support this physical distancing as required.
Given the timing of this most recent advice from NPHET so close to the start of the new term, my Department is not withdrawing post-primary transport services as to do so would cause difficulty for many families in getting their children to school. My Department is engaging with Bus Éireann to implement measures so that any services that can operate from the start of the school year at 50% capacity will do so and over the coming period all other post-primary transport services and services for children of post-primary school going age will be re-organised and additional services will be provided as required to allow for physical distancing.
Bus Éireann is conducting a full assessment to see where re-organisation or re-scheduling of services is possible. In addition, Bus Éireann has recently invited applications from operators who wish to be considered for the provision of additional post-primary services that may be required.
School Transport
Questions (561)
Seán Sherlock
Question:561. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education the engagement she has had with Bus Éireann on school transport allocations in County Cork. [21975/20]
View answerWritten answers
School 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 and are attending their nearest school as determined by the 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.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and may be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated. Where the number of ineligible children who complete the application and payment process on time exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.
My Department and Bus Éireann engage regularly regarding all matters relating to the operation of the School Transport Scheme throughout the country.
School Transport
Questions (562)
Seán Sherlock
Question:562. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education if she has discussed school transport with the Minister for Transport. [21976/20]
View answerWritten answers
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. 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.
I recently published the Roadmap for the Full Return to School which set out how schools would reopen for all students from the end of August. It was developed in line with public health advice issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the Roadmap for Society and Business , and follows comprehensive and intensive engagement with all relevant stakeholders including Bus Éireann, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the National Transport Authority on the logistical considerations that arise in planning for the operation of school transport services for the reopening of our schools.
Officials from my Department have engaged with those from Department of Transport on these issues.
Schools Building Projects
Questions (563)
Seán Sherlock
Question:563. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education if she has ring-fenced tender costs for a building (details supplied). [21978/20]
View answerWritten answers
The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that an initial grant of planning permission has been received.
Funding for the schools capital programme under Project Ireland 2040 remains in place, and the school referred to remains part of the schools capital programme.
Schools Building Projects
Questions (564)
Seán Sherlock
Question:564. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education if she has ring-fenced tender costs for a building (details supplied). [21979/20]
View answerWritten answers
The building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme.
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that planning permission has been secured for the project and the Departments Project Management team are currently working on the preparation of the tender documents for the tender and appointment of a Contractor.
Funding for the schools capital programme under Project Ireland 2040 remains in place, and the school referred to by the Deputy remains part of the schools capital programme.
State Examinations
Questions (565)
Brendan Griffin
Question:565. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education if the leaving certificate grades by teachers will be released before round 1 CAO offers and the appeal process commences (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21995/20]
View answerWritten answers
The results of the Leaving Certificate 2020 Calculated Grades were made available to all students who opted to receive them at 9.00 am on 7 September via the Calculated Grades Student Portal. I would like to congratulate all students for their achievements in what has been a very trying time for them due to the impact of COVID-19 on their education.
Results were also provided to schools at the same time in order to allow them to be prepared to provide supports for students on the day. Schools were advised to provide support to students in an appropriate way on the day, through enabling students to come to the school if they wish at a scheduled time, following COVID-19 and health and safety protocols, to meet with members of the Student Support Team such as Guidance Counsellors, Year Heads, Tutors and Chaplains.
The Calculates Grades Student Portal will reopen on 14 September at 9.00 am and will provide students with the subject percentage marks they were awarded by the Calculated Grades process.
Within the Student Portal, students will also on 14 September be able to access the estimated percentage marks provided by their schools. Students may wish to have access to and consider this data if they are considering an appeal of their Calculated Grade.
Students who are unhappy with the Calculated Grades they receive in one or more subjects will have the opportunity to submit an appeal.
The appeals process will open on 14 September at 9.00 am and students will be able to access it via the Calculated Grades Student Portal. Students will have until 5.00 pm on 16 September to submit an appeal.
Summer Works Scheme
Questions (566)
Thomas Pringle
Question:566. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education the status of a summer works grant for a school (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22002/20]
View answerWritten answers
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the Summer Works Project referred to by the Deputy was completed in 2019.
Subsequently an Emergency Works Application for Universal Access has been received by the school and this is currently being assessed.
School Transport
Questions (567)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:567. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education her plans to provide additional resources to enable Bus Éireann to provide extra school transport to accommodate the new rules in relation to secondary school pupils arising from the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure that all those that are eligible for transport but made a late application and payment for same are accommodated and that those that normally got concessionary tickets are also accommodated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22013/20]
View answerWritten answers
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. 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.
Based on the public health advice published in early July, my Department has been planning for School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/2021 school year to fully operate, but with additional measures and hygiene requirements in place. The Department has been engaging intensively with Bus Éireann in regard to the logistics for the safe operation of School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/2021 school year.
The closing date for payment for the 2020/2021 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020. All children who are eligible for school transport and who applied and paid by the deadline have been accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and will be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated. Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann allocates tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.
Updated health advice was received from NPHET on the 18th August, which impacts on the operation of post-primary school transport services. This advice stated that for secondary school students on school transport, strict distancing should be ensured in line with that on public transport along with the wearing of face coverings.
On foot of this advice it was decided by Government that the operation of post-primary school transport services would commence operation when schools re-open pending the development of additional measures to support physical distancing on the post primary buses. My Department is engaging with Bus Éireann to implement these measures on a rolling basis.
Given the timing of this most recent advice from NPHET so close to the start of the new term, my Department is not withdrawing post-primary transport services as to do so would cause difficulty for many families in getting their children to school. My Department is engaging with Bus Éireann to implement measures so that any services that can operate from the start of the school year at 50% capacity will do so and over the coming period all other post-primary transport services and services for children of post-primary school going age will be re-organised and additional services will be provided as required to allow for physical distancing.
Bus Éireann is conducting a full assessment to see where re-organisation or re-scheduling of services is possible. In addition, Bus Éireann has recently invited applications from operators who wish to be considered for the provision of additional post-primary services that may be required.
State Examinations
Questions (568)
Gary Gannon
Question:568. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if the formula for the leaving certificate 2020 examinations will be made public in full detail (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22017/20]
View answerWritten answers
The design of the Calculated Grades model was informed by advice from a Technical Working Group comprising experts drawn from the State Examinations Commission, the Inspectorate of my Department, the Educational Research Centre, and international external expertise.
The standardisation process undertaken was an iterative statistical modelling, which by its very nature, was an evolving model.
Research makes clear that because teacher judgments are made in the context of each school, they need to be examined and adjusted at a national level to ensure comparability across different schools and that a common national standard is applied.
Schools will have taken different approaches to providing estimated percentage marks for their students. While clear guidance was provided to schools in avoiding bias during the process of estimating marks for their students, it is inevitable that some schools will have been overly harsh in their estimations while others will have been overly generous. This is to be expected given that there is no national standard on which to base an estimated percentage mark.
The standardisation process seeks to bring schools into line with each other across a national standard. This results in some estimated marks being reduced while others will have increased. This process also ensures that the results issued in 2020 will have the same status as those issued in previous or future years.
The Leaving Certificate results from any one year are considered equivalent to the results from any other year. This is because the results each year are subject to a process of national standardisation through the marking processes undertaken by the State Examinations Commission. This year, the national standardisation process combines the school-sourced data and certain historical data to ensure the Calculated Grades reflect standards that are properly aligned across schools and with a national standard.
On 1 September, I announced details in relation to the Calculated Grades model following approval of proposals made to Government. The change proposed removed the use of school-by-school historical data in the standardisation model. I was conscious that the use of such data had been criticised in public commentary about calculated grades and that it had led in other jurisdictions to accusations that students attending disadvantaged schools in those jurisdictions were at risk of being treated unfairly.
The change made placed a greater emphasis on the estimated marks provided by schools to individual students. The process, through the examination and adjustment of estimated percentage marks from schools, still fulfilled its key role of ensuring that the calculated grades iron out the unfairness that could arise when different schools applied various standards when judging the performance of students.
Technical details of the Calculated Grades model and standardisation process have been published on the date of issue of the results. To issue the technical detail of the modelling process in advance of the release of grades would risk detracting from the core principle of providing the most fair and equitable set of results for each candidate. It may have also increased anxiety levels among students as they may have begun to speculate on the final grade they were to receive.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Questions (569)
Gary Gannon
Question:569. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if clear guidelines will be issued for primary and secondary schools on drop off and collection of students in view of the significant issues experienced over the recent reopening of schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22018/20]
View answerWritten answers
In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1998 the board of management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. School starting times and finishing times are matters for individual boards of management.
School COVID-19 Response Plans for the safe and sustainable reopening of both primary and post-primary schools outlines that “staggered drop off/pick up times should be considered where practical and feasible”. In this regard pupil(s) should not lose tuition time based on staggered drop off/ pick up times. If a school wishes to use staggered drop off and pick up times they can do so to ensure all pupils are at the school for the start of the school day and likewise at the end of the school day.
School Accommodation
Questions (570)
Gary Gannon
Question:570. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if there is a deadline by which infrastructural works in schools are to be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22019/20]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to inform the Deputy that the length of time that education-related infrastructure projects take to complete will depend on the scope, scale and complexity of the project. Once on site, contractors are required to complete the relevant works within a set period of time, which will vary from project to project, as set out in the contractual terms of their appointment.
School Transport
Questions (571)
Thomas Pringle
Question:571. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education if her Department has issued instructions to Bus Éireann to reject late payments from parents of eligible applicants under the school transport scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22023/20]
View answerWritten answers
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. 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.
The closing date for payment for the 2020/2021 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020. All children who are eligible for school transport and who applied and paid by the deadline have been accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
The School Transport Scheme Family Portal was temporarily closed for applications and payments on the 20th August 2020. This temporary closure was necessary to complete the work required to issue tickets to families who at that time remained due to be allocated a ticket for school transport services for the 2020/2021 school year.
The School Transport Scheme Family Portal has now re-opened. However, parents/guardians making an application/payment at this time for the 2020/2021 school year are reminded that the closing date for payments for the 2021 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020. While it is possible to submit a payment, payments made at this time are now late. Late applicants and/or families who pay late are not guaranteed a seat and will only be allocated a seat if capacity is available once seats are allocated to those families who applied and paid on time for transport services for the 2020/2021 school year.
In addition, payments for Post-Primary seats completed or made after 4th August 2020 will be only considered when 50% capacity, required by new Covid-19 public health guidelines, is achieved on each route. The timeframe for this will vary from route to route and may take a number of weeks to complete.
In the event of not securing a ticket where no capacity exists, or on cancellation, a full refund will be issued.
School Transport
Questions (572)
Thomas Pringle
Question:572. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education the number of tickets issued under the school transport scheme at 31 August in each of the years 2018 to 2020 by primary, post primary and the subcategories of eligible, eligible exemption from charges and concessionary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22024/20]
View answerWritten answers
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. 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.
Below is a breakdown of school bus tickets issued under the school transport scheme as at 31st August 2018, 2019 and 2020 broken down into the requested categories.
Tickets issued as at 31st August 2018/19/20
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
|
Primary Eligible |
16667 |
16353 |
15155 |
|
Primary Eligible Medical Card |
6422 |
5880 |
5103 |
|
Primary Concessionary |
13250 |
14363 |
13168 |
|
Post Primary Eligible |
28039 |
30556 |
29685 |
|
Post Primary Eligible Medical Card |
21432 |
21228 |
20292 |
|
Post Primary Concessionary |
13687 |
14544 |
13158 |
Figures for 2020 may be subject to change as Bus Éireann continues to allocate tickets where capacity may exist.