Wednesday, 7 Oct 2020

Written Answers Nos. 119-138

State Examinations

Questions (119, 145)

Catherine Connolly

Question:

119. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education if the coding error in the leaving certificate standardisation process, which resulted in the two worst non-core junior certificate grades of a student being counted, rather than their two best non-core grades, was made by a company (details supplied) or if it was as a result of an error at departmental level prior to instruction being given to the company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28974/20]

Catherine Connolly

Question:

145. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education if the coding mistake in the leaving certificate standardisation process, which resulted in the inclusion of CSPE in the junior certificate grade data, was made by a company (details supplied) or if it was as a result of an error at departmental level prior to instruction being given to the company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29232/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 145 together.

The decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a result of COVID-19, which prevented the State from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations. The purpose of this process was to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education.

On 30 September, I made a statement advising that two errors had been identified in the Calculated Grades process. These meant that incorrect grades were issued to some students when they received their results on 7 September.

The first error was identified by Polymetrika International Inc as having taken place when processing students’ data. The error, in one out of 50,000 lines of code, was in relation to the processing of Junior Cycle data. The system was meant to draw on the core Junior Cycle subjects of English, Irish and Maths, and combine them with the students’ 2 best non-core subjects for all of the students in each class in each school. The coding error instead combined the core subjects with the students’ 2 weakest non-core subjects.

The error meant that, in some subjects, some students received Calculated Grades that were lower than they should have been, while some students received grades that were higher than they should have been.

In the course of a review which the Department then undertook, Departmental staff found a further error in the section of the code dealing with Junior Cycle results. The Junior Cycle subject Civil, Social and Political Education (CPSE) was meant to be disregarded as part of the model but was not. This second error, however, had a negligible impact on results.

I provided a further update on 03 October, announcing that improved Calculated Grades would issue to impacted students that day. This announcement was made following a review of essential aspects of the coding by Educational Testing Services, ETS, a non-profit organisation based in the United States.

ETS completed their review and provided it to my Department on 3 October. The review identified one further error, relating to how the code handled cases where students did not sit all three core subjects (Irish, English and Maths) at Junior Cycle level.

As a result of rectification of the errors, a total of 6,100 students have received higher grades. This breaks down as follows:

5,408 students have received a higher grade, by one grade band, in one subject,

621 students have received a higher grade, by one grade band, in two subjects,

71 students have received a higher grade, by one grade band, in three or more subjects.

In addition to the students who received a lower grade than they should have in this year’s Leaving Certificate, some students received a higher grade than they should have. However, these students’ grades are not being amended and the students will not be affected.

ETS also identified an issue concerning how the algorithm used in the standardisation process treated students’ marks at the extreme ends of the marks scale (99% and over, 1% and below). However, ETS also stated that this had no material impact on the results and no student could receive a lower grade as a result of it.

A copy of the report submitted by ETS is available on www.gov.ie/leavngcert.

Ombudsman for Children

Questions (120)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

120. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education if she has had regard to concerns raised by the Ombudsman for Children in the area of special needs resources. [28976/20]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

I wish to advise the Deputy that the Minister for Education and Skills recently met with the Ombudsman for Children on 17th September, 2020. This is one feature of my Department's ongoing engagement with the Ombudsman.

A range of issues in relation to the education of children were discussed at this meeting. The particular issues which were raised in relation to the provision of education for children with special educational needs included:

The school transport scheme for children with special needs; reduced timetables or reduced school days; the provision of guidance for schools on the seclusion and restraint of children with behavioural concerns; the pilot of a scheme to provide Therapy services for children in schools; and the provision of special school and special class places.

My Department will continue to engage with the Office of the Ombudsman for Children regarding these and any other matters which may arise in the future.

Ombudsman for Children

Questions (121)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

121. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education if she has had regard to concerns raised by the Ombudsman for Children in the area the option for children to opt out of religious teaching. [28977/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

My Department has had previous communication with the office of the Children’s Ombudsman in respect of concerns in relation to opting out of religious instruction in schools.

My Department confirmed to the Ombudsman, that under Article 44 of the Constitution and Section 30 of the Education Act, 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of religious instruction or religious education classes if they so wish. It is expected that this right will be upheld by schools on foot of a parental request.

Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools are required to have drafted new admissions policies, for Patron approval before the 15 September 2020, and publication by the end of September 2020. The act requires where schools provide religious instruction that they clearly set out in their admission policies the school’s arrangements for students, where the parent or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, has requested that the student attend the school without attending religious instruction in the school.

The manner in which any school ensures that the right to opt out of religion classes is upheld is a matter for the school concerned. Each individual school must determine the particular arrangements which are most appropriate in its individual circumstances having regard to local issues such as available space, supervision requirements and how the school concerned organises classes etc.

The right of parents to have their child opt out of religion instruction and worship applies in all schools regardless of the denomination or ethos of the school concerned.

Ombudsman for Children

Questions (122)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

122. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education if she has had regard to concerns raised by the Ombudsman for Children in the area of the Ombudsman being able to investigate complaints in a school. [28978/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

The Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019 reflects the commitment contained in the Programme for a Partnership Government to introduce a stronger complaints procedures and charter for parents.

It is important to note that the overall approach in the Bill is to shift away from reacting to problems in schools after they arise, to an approach which aims to improve the day-to-day experience students and their parents can expect from schools. In doing so, it is envisaged that the amount of grievances in schools should reduce.

A particularly important aspect of the Bill is that where a concern is brought to the attention of a school, the school should address and resolve that concern as far as possible, at an early stage, and this approach will further help reduce the need for recourse to any formal processes.

However, the Bill does recognise that formal complaints will still arise and it provides for the Charter guidelines to put in place new standardised complaints procedures that will have to be followed by all schools.

The complaints procedures will be developed in consultation with the stakeholders including parent and student representatives which will help ensure that they are straightforward, fair and accessible to parents and students.

I am aware of the concerns raised by the Ombudsman for Children with regard to the investigation of complaints and will continue to engage with his office in relation to the Bill in this regard.

The Bill will not alter the existing right of parents, who have exhausted the schools complaints procedures, to make a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman for Children.

School Admissions

Questions (123)

Chris Andrews

Question:

123. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Education if the recent decision by a school (details supplied) to end its policy of allocating feeder status to a local national school was taken as informed by her Department or if this decision was taken independent of her Department's guidelines. [28986/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in that area.

Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools have drafted new policies, which will have been approved by the school patron by 15 September 2020, and should now be published on the schools website.

The act requires schools to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. Schools have discretion in relation to their admission criteria and how they are applied, feeder schools are permitted as a criterion under the act, and schools can continue to prioritise selected feeder schools should they wish to do so. The criteria to be applied by schools and the order of priority are a matter for the schools themselves.

Schools and their patrons are not required to consult or inform my Department in relation to their selection criteria. My Department has not been informed or consulted in relation to the selection criteria of Dominican College, Muckross Park.

European Court of Justice Rulings

Questions (124, 125, 126)

Paul Murphy

Question:

124. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if the Attorney General and her Department have completed the review of the State ex-gratia scheme which the Tánaiste informed Dáil Éireann was happening on 12 December 2018. [28998/20]

Paul Murphy

Question:

125. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education when her Department made its latest report to the Council of Europe on the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights judgment in a case (details supplied); and when the report will be uploaded to be accessible to the public. [28999/20]

Paul Murphy

Question:

126. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if a decision has been made regarding the eligibility of abuse victims in a school (details supplied) for the ex-gratia scheme. [29000/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

I propose to take Questions Nos. 124, 125 and 126 together.

The review of the ex-gratia scheme is ongoing. My Department is committed to reviewing the ex gratia scheme, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General.

The issues involved are highly sensitive and complex and require very careful deliberation before proposals can be finalised and brought to Government. It is important to have a more complete awareness of the extent of the problem, the number of people who could potentially be involved. the legal implications of any course of action, and a reasonably accurate estimate of likely costs before introducing any modifications to the scheme.

Ireland reports to the Council of Europe on its implementation of the ECtHR ruling in the Louise O'Keeffe case. It was granted an extension until 8th December to file the next report.

It is my understanding that a number of people who attended Creagh Lane NS in the past have taken or are in the process of taking legal proceedings against the Christian Brothers. As a consequence, I do not intend to comment on this matter.

State Examinations

Questions (127, 128)

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

127. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if equal weight was given to Irish, English and maths and the two best subjects of students from the junior certificate; if not, if different weighting per subject was used; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29003/20]

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

128. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if a student’s specific percentage regarding leaving certificate 2020 and the calculated grades process result or overall grade was used from their junior certificate to calculate their leaving certificate 2020 results; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29004/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

I propose to take Questions Nos. 127 and 128 together.

The decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a direct result of COVID-19, which prevented the state from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations.

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 the Department of Education and Skills, the Educational Research Centre and international external expertise.

Schools provided an estimated percentage mark and a rank order for each student’s subjects. The process of national standardisation was applied to the school information in order to ensure comparability between the standards applied by individual schools and the national standard. We know from research that teachers are very good at making judgements about their students in the local context of the school. Schools approached this task in a very professional manner, in line with detailed guidelines about the process, but inevitably some schools were overly harsh in their estimations while others were overly generous. This is to be expected given that there is no national standard on which to base an estimated mark. But in order to be fair to the class of 2020, the teacher judgements made at the level of the school had to be adjusted so that a common national standard was applied. It was inherent to the system of calculated grades that school estimates would be subject to adjustment through this standardisation process.

These adjustments resulted in the school estimates staying the same or being revised upwards or downwards. The standardisation process operated on the premise that the school estimates should only be adjusted through the standardisation process where there was credible statistical evidence to justify changing them.

A standardising process happens every year and would have happened in 2020 had the Leaving Certificate examinations been run as normal. In the system of calculated grades, the standardisation process applied uniformly across all subject and levels and school types. The degree to which mark changes occurred related to the degree of over or underestimation in the school estimates for each subject and each level. This means that some students experienced mark changes from the school estimates but no changes to the grades based on the school estimates; while others will have experienced marks changes from the teacher estimates leading to grade changes in one or more of their subjects.

Following standardisation, the estimated percentage mark was converted to a calculated mark and subsequently, a calculated grade, which was provided to students on 7 September. It is only at this point that students were awarded a grade.

The use which has been made of Junior Cycle data in the model is set out in detail in the Report of the National Standardisation Group. Individual Junior Cycle results were not used to determine any individual’s Calculated Grades. Rather, the Calculated Grades process took account of the overall Junior Cycle performance of the Leaving Certificate class of 2020 in each school and used this data to help in predicting the likely range of Leaving Certificate performance of that group using related information about the relationship between performance at Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate based on national data over time for that subject at that level.

On 30 September, I announced that two errors had been found in the Leaving Certificate 2020 Calculated Grades process. These errors related to the way in which the coding for the process utilised Junior Cycle data.

On 03 October, following a further review of the coding by an independent third party, I announced that a further error had been identified.

These three errors were rectified, and following this, a total of 6,100 students have received higher grades. These students were able to access their improved results 03 October.

Technical details of the Calculated Grades model and standardisation process were published on the date of issue of the results, 7 September, and are available here:

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2ed9b-leaving-certificate-2020-calculated-grades-technical-reports/ .

State Examinations

Questions (129)

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

129. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the steps she will take to address the issue of students who have been doubly impacted by the fact that those who received an inflated grade will retain the grades and the places in college ahead of those that through no fault of their own were incorrectly downgraded and will not receive the opportunity to have an inflated grade; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29005/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

The decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a direct result of COVID-19, which prevented the state from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations.

On 30 September, I announced that two errors had been found in the Leaving Certificate 2020 Calculated Grades process. These errors related to the way in which the coding for the process utilised Junior Cycle data.

On 03 October, following a further review of the coding by an independent third party, I announced that a further error had been identified.

These three errors were rectified, and following this, a total of 6,100 students received higher grades. These students were able to access their improved results on 03 October.

Technical details of the Calculated Grades model and standardisation process were published on the date of issue of the results and are available here:

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2ed9b-leaving-certificate-2020-calculated-grades-technical-reports/ .

Only the marks and grades that increased have been applied to the students’ results.

The Leaving Certificate system has a well-established practice of not reducing the marks or grades of students who have not appealed their results, but who through an appeal by another student or other systemic check are identified as somebody who received higher marks or grades than were merited.

In keeping with that principle, and mindful of the fact that the mistake was not the students’ mistake, students who received higher grades as a result of the errors in the Calculated Grades system will not be downgraded. The Leaving Certificate results of these students will remain unchanged as they do every year in these circumstances.

The CAO system operates on behalf of the higher education institutions solely on the basis of the Leaving Certificate results that candidates have been awarded.

Therefore, it is not appropriate for the CAO to make any differentiation within the group of candidates with the 2020 Leaving Certificate, just as the CAO cannot treat a 2019 Leaving Certificate candidate differently from a 2020 one. The CAO process for 2020 has been undertaken on that basis.

Furthermore, there has been an increase in the numbers of available places in colleges so that improved CAO offers can be made all candidates who would have been entitled to them. There were also extensive additional higher education places in 2020 – the most places ever offered – and the Department of Further and Higher Education and the higher education institutions are fully committed to providing further places to accommodate all students who are entitled to improved CAO offers.

As candidates receive and accept improved CAO offers arising this week, they will move from one course to another and this will create the potential for further offers to other candidates in succeeding rounds of the CAO. This will mean an overall increase in the numbers of students in third-level education and will lessen any risk of candidates not being able to participate in third-level education.

State Examinations

Questions (130)

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

130. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if a full review of the entire calculated grades process will be undertaken in view of the errors that have been discovered. [29006/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

The decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a result of COVID-19, which prevented the State from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations. The purpose of this process was to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education.

On 30 September, I made a statement advising that two errors had been identified in the Calculated Grades process. These meant that incorrect grades were issued to some students when they received their results on 7 September.

The first error, in one out of 50,000 lines of code, was in relation to the processing of Junior Cycle data. The system was meant to draw on the core Junior Cycle subjects of English, Irish and Maths, and combine them with the students’ 2 best non-core subjects for all of the students in each class in each school. The coding error instead combined the core subjects with the students’ 2 weakest non-core subjects.

The error meant that, in some subjects, some students received Calculated Grades that were lower than they should have been, while some students received grades that were higher than they should have been.

In the course of a review which the Department then undertook, Departmental staff found a further error in the section of the code dealing with Junior Cycle results. The Junior Cycle subject Civil, Social and Political Education (CPSE) was meant to be disregarded as part of the model but was not. This second error, however, had a negligible impact on results.

I provided a further update on 03 October, announcing that improved Calculated Grades would issue to impacted students that day. This announcement was made following a review of essential aspects of the coding by Educational Testing Services, ETS, a non-profit organisation based in the United States.

ETS completed their review and provided it to my Department on 3 October. The review identified one further error, relating to how the code handled cases where students did not sit all three core subjects (Irish, English and Maths) at Junior Cycle level.

As a result of rectification of the three errors, a total of 6,100 students have received higher grades. This breaks down as follows:

5,408 students have received a higher grade, by one grade band, in one subject,

621 students have received a higher grade, by one grade band, in two subjects,

71 students have received a higher grade, by one grade band, in three or more subjects.

In addition to the students who received a lower grade than they should have in this year’s Leaving Certificate, some students received a higher grade than they should have. However, these students grades are not being amended and the students will not be affected.

ETS also identified an issue concerning how the algorithm used in the standardisation process treated students’ marks at the extreme ends of the marks scale (99% and over, 1% and below). However, ETS also stated that this had no material impact on the results and no student could receive a lower grade as a result of it.

Following correction of the errors the Department sent a corrected file of student results to the CAO. The CAO have identified that a little under 450 of the 6,100 students will be eligible to receive a new CAO offer. The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science will work with the CAO and the higher education institutions to see how these students can be facilitated to commence the course that they would, in other circumstances, have been offered in an earlier round. Any student who would have been entitled to a different offer in previous CAO rounds if they received the correct grade on 7 September will receive this offer or a deferred offer as part of the CAO Round 4 offers which are being released on 8 October 2020.

A copy of the report submitted by ETS is available on www.gov.ie/leavngcert .

On 03 October I also stated that I have asked that an independent comprehensive review of the operation of the Calculated Grades process take place when the process is complete. This review will include independent international expertise.

Emergency Works Scheme

Questions (131)

Charles Flanagan

Question:

131. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Education the status of an emergency works application for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29015/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

I would like to inform the Deputy that the school in question was refused emergency works funding for a full roof replacement as this does not fall under the scope of the scheme. However, it is open to the school to reapply for emergency works funding for the minimum works necessary, for example repair works to the roof, to resolve the issue.

Alternatively the school authority may apply for funding under the summer works scheme when this next opens for applications as this is the proper mechanism for applying for funding for full roof replacements.

Schools Building Projects

Questions (132)

Duncan Smith

Question:

132. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education if the planned new school building for a school (details supplied) will include an ASD unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29023/20]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

Ensuring that every child has a suitable school placement is a key objective of my Department. Significant resources are allocated each year to ensure that appropriate supports are available for children with special educational needs.

Children with special educational needs are supported through placement in mainstream classes, special classes and special schools. At school, they receive a range of supports provided by teachers and SNAs. Other professional supports, including training for teachers, are provided by the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to enable each school provide a holistic educational experience for each child. The HSE is responsible for the delivery of therapeutic supports.

NCSE has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide; has well established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents; and seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special education placements. The NCSE is planning a further expansion of special class and school places nationally to meet identified need. This process is ongoing

It is open to any school to make an application to the NCSE for the establishment of a specialised provision and where sanctioned, a range of supports, including capital funding, is made available to the school. School transport is also available. My Department works closely with the NCSE in this regard.

The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy includes the provision of a 4 classroom SEN base. This project is in the process of being devolved for delivery to the local Education and Training Board (ETB).

The first step in this process is the execution of a Service Level Agreement between my Department and the ETB and this is being arranged. Thereafter, the ETB will procure a Design Team for the project to design the buildings, obtain the necessary statutory planning permission and move the project onward to 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.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (133)

Róisín Shortall

Question:

133. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 459 of 15 September 2020, if further clarification will be provided regarding face covering exemptions for secondary school students; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that some secondary schools operating under the joint managerial body for voluntary secondary schools are demanding that parents of pupils provide more than a medical certificate from a doctor stating that a child has breathing difficulties, for example, asthma, therefore exempting the child from wearing a face covering; if her attention has been further drawn to the fact that some schools are demanding a note from a doctor specifying in writing that the child does not have to wear a face covering, which goes beyond the content of Government guidelines and which in some cases doctors are not willing to provide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29031/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

As outlined in my response of 14 September, my Department received advice from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on the use of face coverings in educational settings on the 6th August 2020. It is a requirement for face coverings to be worn by teachers, staff in schools and students attending post primary school.

However Public health advice also set out a number of categories where cloth face coverings should not be worn. Subsequent clarification was provided to schools setting out that in the case of exemptions, a medical certificate is required to certify that a person falls into one of these categories. The medical certificate must be provided to the school by or on behalf of any student who claims they are covered by these exemptions.

School Transport

Questions (134)

Niamh Smyth

Question:

134. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education if the decision made by the school transport scheme on an application by a family (details supplied) for a school bus ticket will be reviewed. [29091/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

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 my Department’s School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2kms at primary and 4.8kms at post-primary and are attending their nearest School/Education Centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application and payment process on time have been accommodated on school transport services in the 2020/2021 school year where such services are in operation. Children who are eligible for school transport but for whom no service is available may be offered the Remote Area Grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements.

Children who apply but who are not eligible for school transport are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.

Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann allocates tickets using an agreed selection process. Concessionary transport may therefore vary from year to year and cannot be guaranteed for the duration of a child’s primary or post primary school education cycle. The provision of a seat on a concessionary basis in a given year does not confer any continuing entitlement for that user in following years as concessionary places are entirely contingent on there being spare seats once eligible users are provided for.

Bus Éireann has confirmed that the children referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for transport under the terms of the scheme as they are not attending their nearest school. Bus Éireann has also confirmed that the children were not successful in obtaining a ticket in the selection process for concessionary seats for the 2020/21 school year.

Schools Health and Safety

Questions (135)

Niamh Smyth

Question:

135. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education the details of all primary schools that are located on national route roads; her views on whether extra road safety measures should be in place at such schools; the person or body responsible for providing such road safety measures; the person or body responsible for funding safety measures for primary schools on national roads; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29092/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

The specific information requested by the Deputy regarding details of all primary schools that are located on national route roads is not readily available within my Department.

In general, individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care. The issue of road safety measures outside the vested site areas of schools on public roads, such as road signage, traffic calming measures etc., is a matter, for the relevant Local Authority. Local Authorities have the power to decide on road safety measures outside schools to ensure that measures are in place to protect the safety of local school children. My Department has no function in this matter.

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department's Technical Guidance Document – TGD-020 sets out the general principles of Universal Design in schools, which includes guidance on car parking, set-down/pick up areas. In the case of school building projects, parking provision should be as stated in the guidance documents, subject to the planning requirements of the relevant Local Authority.

School Enrolments

Questions (136)

Seán Haughey

Question:

136. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education if she will facilitate an increased number of enrolments in respect of two new schools (details supplied) in view of the increasing numbers school-going children in their school planning area and surrounding school planning areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29095/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

As the Deputy will be aware, since April 2018, the Government announced plans for the establishment of 45 new schools over the 4 year period 2019 to 2022. This included a new primary school for the Donaghmede / Howth / Dublin 13 school planning area and a new post primary school for the Donaghmede / Howth / Dublin 13 / Belmayne/Clongriffin school planning area. Both schools were established in September 2019 and are in interim accommodation pending delivery of their permanent accommodation. It is not possible to increase the schools enrolment intake while they are in their current interim accommodation.

The position regarding the schools permanent accommodation is that new school buildings will be delivered under my Department's Design and Build programme.

Planning permission has been secured for the new primary school and it is intended that the project will proceed to tender in early 2021.

Planning permission was lodged for the post primary school on the 31st March 2020 and the Project Manager is currently in the process of responding to a request for further information from the Local Authority. As with all school building projects, the exact timeframe for delivery of the school will be dependent on the grant of planning permission.

My Department will keep the Board of Management fully informed of developments as they occur.

State Examinations

Questions (137)

Pa Daly

Question:

137. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education if she will report on the way in which leaving certificate students examination results and other examination and grade related data are defined in contracts with third-parties to which her Department has outsourced grade assessments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29103/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

On 8 May, the then Minister for Education and Skills announced the establishment of the Calculated Grades Executive Office in my Department following the postponement of the Leaving Certificate Examinations.

This office has led the development and implementation of the model of Calculated Grades.

Polymetrika was contracted to provide statistical and psychometric expertise, initially on the basis of contingency planning in the event of the Leaving Certificate not taking place as planned.

Polymetrika played an integral part of the development and running of the Calculated Grades model, and as such the contract for Polymetrika was extended to implement the Calculated Grades model under the pre-agreed terms of the contract. This was done following the decision of Government on 8 May 2020 to postpone the Leaving Certificate Examinations.

On registering for the Calculated Grades Student Portal, students were provided with a link to a Privacy Notice with information on what categories of personal data would be shared, and with whom. This Privacy Notice is available to view at:

https://www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Data-Protection/gdpr/parents-children/privacy-notice-students-calculated-grades-leaving-certificate-2020.pdf .

The Privacy Notice identifies Polymetrika International Inc. as one of the organisations which data would be shared with.

Intellectual Property

Questions (138)

Pa Daly

Question:

138. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education if copies of the clauses in the contracts with a company (details supplied) that relate to the definition and use of each of intellectual property and personally identifiable information will be provided. [29104/20]

Written answers

Minister for Education

On 8 May, the then Minister for Education and Skills announced the establishment of the Calculated Grades Executive Office in my Department following the postponement of the Leaving Certificate Examinations.

This office has led the development and implementation of the model of Calculated Grades.

Polymetrika was contracted to provide statistical and psychometric expertise, initially on the basis of contingency planning in the event of the Leaving Certificate not taking place as planned.

Polymetrika played an integral part of the development and running of the Calculated Grades model, and as such the contract for Polymetrika was extended to implement the Calculated Grades model under the pre-agreed terms of the contract. This was done following the decision of Government on 8 May 2020 to postpone the Leaving Certificate Examinations.

On registering for the Calculated Grades Student Portal, students were provided with a link to a Privacy Notice with information on what categories of personal data would be shared, and with whom. This Privacy Notice is available to view at:

https://www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Data-Protection/gdpr/parents-children/privacy-notice-students-calculated-grades-leaving-certificate-2020.pdf .

The Privacy Notice identifies Polymetrika International Inc. as one of the organisations which data would be shared with.