Tuesday, 13 Oct 2020

State Examinations

Questions (211)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

211. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education if she will respond to a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29565/20]

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Written answers

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.

The system is underpinned by key principles of objectivity, equity and fairness. For the Calculated Grades system to be operated with integrity, and to ensure fairness to all students, an estimated percentage mark, based on credible, satisfactory evidence, could only be accepted from an appropriate source.

There are two particular groups of students who may not have been able to receive Calculated Grades and they will already have been advised of this during August 2020:

- students who were enrolled in full-time education but were studying an extra subject(s) outside the school;

- external students who were not enrolled in full-time education and are regarded as out-of-school learners. These would include home-schooled students.

In cases where a student was attending school, but was studying one or more subjects outside of school, school principals were asked to make every effort to provide an estimated percentage mark for that subject(s) provided there was sufficient, credible evidence available from an appropriate source. The Calculated Grades Executive Office (CGEO) undertook a review of reports received from schools to ensure that the correct procedures were followed.

Out of school learners had to apply directly to the CGEO for Calculated Grades. Of the total of 929 students in the category of out-of-school learner it was possible to provide calculated grades to some 570 students. Some 190 students either did not engage in the application process or confirmed that they did not want to receive a calculated grade.

Departmental Programmes

Questions (212)

Neale Richmond

Question:

212. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education the status of the future building programme; the works scheduled to be carried out under the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29576/20]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

The Department has a large pipeline of projects for delivery under the school building programme currently involving 373 large-scale projects and circa. 800 projects for delivery under the Department’s Additional Accommodation Scheme. This pipeline continues to be monitored to ensure it is aligned with the objectives of Project Ireland 2040.

The current status of projects being delivered is listed on a county by county basis on the Department’s website at www.education.ie. The website is updated on a monthly basis to reflect their progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.

Public Sector Staff

Questions (213)

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

213. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if injury at work leave will be provided to teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29625/20]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

The provision of an occupational injury scheme for teachers is the subject of a claim brought by the Teacher Unions to the Teachers' Conciliation Council. Discussions are taking place under the auspices of the TCC, to which the Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, school management and teacher unions are all party. As the proceedings of the TCC are confidential, it would not be appropriate for me to make any further comment.

Student Support Schemes

Questions (214)

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

214. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if funding and resources will be provided to enable schools to provide for students who need access to technology and the internet outside of the classroom; if her attention has been drawn in particular to this need within the Traveller community; the steps she will take to provide internet and device access in the homes of students who do not have access to these resources; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29630/20]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

The Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020, sets out a plan to embed the use of digital technology in teaching, learning and assessment, and affirms that the use of digital technology can enhance the teaching and learning experience. The Strategy recognises however that schools require investment in their ICT infrastructure. Funding of €210m has been committed to support the implementation of this strategy with €110m issued over the last three years and a further €50m issued recently in respect of the 2019-2020 school year. The remaining €50m under this provision will issue to schools during the current school year (2020-2021) subject to the availability of exchequer funding.

This funding can be focussed on assisting schools to address ICT needs including the purchase of devices, software and infrastructural solutions to support the provision of remote learning, including the purchase of digital devices that can be shared with students who do not have access to devices. Schools are best placed to determine the most appropriate solution to adopt in terms of supporting the learning needs of their students based on their own context and circumstances.

Schools have been advised of direct drawdown mechanisms for the purchase of laptops. HEAnet operates an aggregated order process on its Single Provider Framework with Dell, while Datapac also do so through a Single Provider Framework with HP. Both of these Frameworks have been established from the OGP Framework of Providers of Laptops. This was intended to enable laptop orders from schools to be prioritised, during the current public health crisis. Schools are responsible for the procurement of any such equipment in accordance with relevant procurement requirements and according to their own needs.

The Professional Development Service for Teachers Technology in Education (PDST-TIE) offers advice and supports to schools on digital learning. Advice sheets are available on digital technology in education, including on the adoption of laptops and tablets in schools. The information on their website outlines what these devices can offer schools to support teaching, learning and assessment, and facilitate students' active learning and collaboration. Specific items for consideration including software and hardware requirements and purchasing regulations, are addressed in the support information.

Separately, and through the Schools Broadband Access Programme, my Department provides for improved ICT infrastructure for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary and post primary schools and some 98% of schools avail of this service. The delivery of high quality internet connectivity for all schools, to support the embedding of digital technologies in teaching and learning, is a key objective of my Department. The Schools Broadband Programme is operated by my Department at an annual cost of some €13m.

It is recognised of course that poor access to home broadband does present challenges for the education system in the current crisis. With this in mind, schools have been asked to consider the needs of students who may not have access to online facilities and to address this in their responses. My Department will continue to work with the education partners to support schools on how best to use digital and other solutions to provide continuity of learning for students at this time.

The National Traveller Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) published by the Department of Justice and Equality provides the framework and strategic direction for interventions across a range of Government Departments to support the additional needs of the Traveller and Roma communities in Ireland. Officials of my Department participate in the national steering group and oversee the implementation of the education actions of NTRIS.

School Curriculum

Questions (215)

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

215. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education if she will address a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29652/20]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

A specification for the new Leaving Certificate Computer Science (LCCS) subject was introduced on a phased basis in September 2018, to be offered by schools as an additional optional subject. The subject is available for national rollout from September 2020.

The structure of the LCCS specification and the nature of the assessment components, as summarised below, does require that the programme is delivered, and the practical components completed, in a school setting under the supervision of the teacher delivering the programme in that school. Otherwise, the required coursework authentication steps cannot be met. The subject consists of:

- a final examination consisting of a paper-based element and a computer-based element worth 70% of the marks. Schools will be required to facilitate all students using computers simultaneously for the purpose of the Leaving Certificate examination;

- a practical coursework project to be completed under the supervision of the class teacher, worth 30% of the marks.

All components will be assessed externally.

Where a coursework element is involved the State Examinations Commission (SEC) has strict conditions in place for completion to ensure the authentication of all aspects of the coursework, its conduct and reporting, as being wholly the work of the candidate. These requirements in respect of the oversight and authentication of the execution of the project and preparation of the report must be met in full for the coursework element to be accepted for marking by the State Examinations Commission.

School Transport

Questions (216)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

216. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education the number of post primary school transport ticket holders in County Kerry for each academic year since 2015 to 2020-21, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29668/20]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

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.

School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/21 school year commenced on the 26th August. 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 for the 2020/21 school year where such services are in operation.

Bus Éireann has confirmed the details for the number of post primary school transport ticket holders in County Kerry for each academic year since 2015 to 2020/2021 and this is set out in tabular format in the table.

YEAR	MAINSTREAM POST PRIMARY TICKETS ISSUED
2015/2016	3152
2016/2017	3088
2017/2018	3120
2018/2019	3097
2019/2020	3178
2020/2021	2872

State Examinations

Questions (217)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

217. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education if students who sits the leaving certificate in November can elect to sit the exams in a school or educational setting in their area that are facilitating the November exams but are not the schools that the students attended. [29688/20]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

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.

Third Level Admissions

Questions (218)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Question:

218. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Education the number of students who did not receive an offer for a place on the course on their CAO applications due to places on such courses being offered to students who received inflated grades resulting from the coding error in the grade algorithm; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29690/20]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

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, the CAO cannot differentiate 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 and there is no scope for the CAO to re-assess the selection of students for higher education programmes on the basis of any information that does not relate to the formal results of the Leaving Certificate in 2020 or any other year.

There has been an increase in the numbers of available places in colleges this year so that improved CAO offers can be made to all candidates who benefitted from upgraded Leaving Certificate results. 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.

Of the 485 candidates who received improved CAO offers last week, some of them 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.

School Staff

Questions (219)

Pádraig O'Sullivan

Question:

219. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if she will examine the case of a school (details supplied). [29698/20]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

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.

There is no change to the mainstream staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy in the current school year.

The staffing schedule for 2021/22 will be published early next year and at that stage, schools will be able to establish their staffing for that school year.

Schools Building Projects

Questions (220)

Steven Matthews

Question:

220. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education the status of a building for a school (details supplied). [29711/20]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has acquired a greenfield site for the construction of permanent accommodation for the school in question.

My Department's architectural staff have recently undertaken a technical visit to the site in the context of the scoping exercise associated with the development of the new school. The outcome of the site visit is currently been considered and my Department will ultimately produce a briefing document which will be used to progress the project to the next stage. My Department will continue to keep the school updated on progress.

State Examinations

Questions (221)

Pa Daly

Question:

221. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education if an appeal by a person (details supplied) regarding the leaving certificate will be investigated. [29712/20]

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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. In the absence of these examinations, every effort has been made to make the system as fair as possible for as many students as possible.

The process of national standardisation, which forms a key part of the Calculated Grades process, was applied to the information provided by schools in order to ensure comparability between the standards applied by individual schools and the national standard. 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 standardisations process.

These adjustments resulted in the school estimates of subject percentage marks 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.

Therefore, it is not accurate to state that student(s) were downgraded, or upgraded, through the standardisation process. Rather the grade that was awarded following the standardisation process is the grade for the 2020 Leaving Certificate (Calculated Grades).

The overall data on school estimated marks showed that there was a very significant rise in estimated grades against what would normally be achieved nationally. This level of grade increase based on the school estimates would have been unrealistic. For example, based on the school data, there would have been 13.8% H1 grades this year when in a normal year it is approximately 5.8%. Even with the standardisation process the rate of H1s this year is over 9%.

While some students will be disappointed at the results they have achieved, this is the case every year when the Leaving Certificate results are published. It may be more difficult for students to understand when they see the estimated mark from the school.

The appeals process for Calculated Grades was open to students who were disappointed with the Calculated Grades they received in one or more subjects. In addition, students had the option to register to sit the 2020 written Leaving Certificate exams due to commence on 16 November.

School Staff

Questions (222)

Róisín Shortall

Question:

222. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education if she will address a matter regarding a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29725/20]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

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 30th September.

However, the staffing arrangements for primary schools also includes the provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts on developing grounds, using projected enrolment for the following September, in this case September 2020.

The school referred to by the Deputy was allocated a teaching post on developing grounds, but has not achieved the required enrolment on 30th September.

The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria, including a specific one for developing schools, to an independent Appeals Board. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board is currently accepting staffing appeal applications. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.

School Transport

Questions (223)

Robert Troy

Question:

223. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education if school transport will be provided in the case of persons (details supplied). [29757/20]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

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. Under the terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8kms from and are attending their nearest Post Primary 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 for the 2020/21 school year where such services are in operation. The closing date for payment for the 2020/2021 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020.

Bus Eireann has confirmed that both children of the first family to which the Deputy refers are attending their closest school and are eligible for school transport. Payment for the family was received on 07/09/2020 and as such is late.

Bus Éireann has also confirmed that the child of the second family referred to by the Deputy is not attending his closest school and is therefore not eligible for transport. Payment was received for this pupil on 07/09/2020 and as such is 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 or submission of medical card details for Post-Primary seats completed or made after 4th August 2020 will be only considered when 50% capacity, required by new Covid19 public health guidelines, is achieved on each route.

Given the health advice which my Department received from NPHET, my Department and Bus Éireann are presently focused on achieving 50% capacity across post-primary school transport services. The timeframe for this will vary from route to route but all efforts are being made to do so as soon as possible. Following the completion of this, further tickets will be issued to applicants where there is spare capacity on services. In the event of not securing a ticket where no capacity exists, or on cancellation, a full refund will be issued.

School Libraries

Questions (224)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

224. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education if she will reinstate the school library fund; the amount of funding allocated to the fund in its final full year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29770/20]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

An arrangement was made through An Chomhairle Leabharlanna in 1971, whereby the local authority librarians would provide services for schools. At that time my Department made a grant available for this purpose based on the number of pupils enrolled in the schools in the local authority areas.

The amount of the grant payable to each local authority was based on the number of pupils in the relevant area and amounted to €4.52 per pupil. This is a relatively small amount in terms of the cost to Local Authorities of providing public library services.

The expenditure in 2008, which was the final year that funding was allocated, was €2.2m

The decision in the October 2008 budget to discontinue the funding that the Department made available to local authorities to support school library services was made against the backdrop of a very challenging economic situation.

As the Deputy is aware there are many competing demands for the available funding across the entire Education Sector including the need to increase capitation funding for schools and to continue to provide a comprehensive range of measures to support schools in dealing with the significant challenges posed by COVID-19. Priority must be given to these within the resources available to my Department.

State Examinations

Questions (225)

Cormac Devlin

Question:

225. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the case of persons (details supplied); if she will investigate the case to ensure all procedures were correctly followed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29781/20]

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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.

The use of Junior Cycle data in the Calculated Grades model is set out in detail in the Report of the National Standardisation Group, available on www.gov.ie/leavingcertificate. It should be noted that 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 class in each school and used this aggregate-level 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. Therefore, the fact that a student may not have sat Junior Cycle examinations in one or more subjects will not impact on that individual’s Calculated Grades.

State Examinations

Questions (226)

Cormac Devlin

Question:

226. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied); if she will investigate the case to ensure all procedures were correctly followed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29782/20]