Michael Ring
Question:229. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education if school transport will be provided to three siblings in County Mayo (details supplied). [29797/20]
View answerSchool Transport
Questions (229)
Written 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.
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.
Payment was made, by the family to whom the Deputy refers to, on the 7th September 2020 and as such, their payment was 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. In the event of not securing a ticket where no capacity exists, or on cancellation, a full refund will be issued.
School Management
Questions (230, 277)
Seán Canney
Question:230. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education the status of members of boards of management members for both primary and secondary schools in view of the escalation of restrictions to level 3; if boards can meet during the current level 3 restrictions; the supports her Department will give to these boards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29826/20]
View answer
Cathal Crowe
Question:277. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if school boards will be allowed to meet in person in line with social distancing guidelines in appropriately sized venues in order to discuss sensitive matters. [30219/20]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 230 and 277 together.
Boards of Management should continue to meet remotely. Alternative solutions are required to meet and operate and make important decisions in relation to the functioning of the schools. The Governance Manual for Primary Schools 2019 – 2023 provides for the use of conference calls to facilitate board meetings.
This is not necessarily restricted to the use of phones. Other on-line media platforms can be considered once the board is satisfied that appropriate security measures are in place to protect confidentiality. Where phones and other online media platforms have been used to host the meeting, this should be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. The normal requirements for confidentiality continue to apply.
State Examinations
Questions (231, 232, 233, 234)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:231. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the date the lines of code containing the error in the context of the leaving certificate calculated grades model were last edited; and if further oversight and tests were carried out by the national standardisation group after the most recent changes were made to the code. [29827/20]
View answerDonnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:232. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of lines of original code, excluding code contained within imported libraries, written by a company (details supplied); if all code was written uniquely for her Department or formed part of a pre-existing product; and if so, the title of the base product. [29828/20]
View answerDonnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:233. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the programming languages used by a company (details supplied) in developing the system used for calculated grades. [29829/20]
View answerDonnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:234. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education if the leaving certificate calculated grades code was written entirely by a person (details supplied); and if there was an oversight of their work within the company. [29830/20]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 231 to 234, inclusive, 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 this year. The statistical model underpinning the system of Calculated Grades is a complex and sophisticated bespoke development. Developing a brand-new system for providing examinations results to students in the circumstances of not being able to hold examinations was always going to be hugely challenging. The system was developed specifically for the Irish Leaving Certificate, and within an extremely tight timeframe in order for students to get their Calculated Grades results in time. In light of the intensity of the timeframe for this work, the code was being written, developed and refined on an iterative basis.
The code was written for the system of Calculated Grades by Polymetrika International Incorporated based in Canada. The principal of Polymetrika, Fernando Cartwright is considered an international expert in the field of statistics and psychometrics, the science of educational testing. This was a bespoke development in response to the inability to run the 2020 Leaving Certificate.
Technical details of the Calculated Grades model and standardisation process were published on the date of issue of the Calculated Grades results and are available at https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/90d4a-calculated-grades-document-library/.
The code operationalizing the algorithms in the analysis used a combination of custom-developed ECMAscript, standard numerical and statistical libraries, and SQL. The algorithm implementation used custom-developed code. In all, some 50,000 lines of code were contained within the complex statistical estimation system required to operationalise the standardisation process.
Following the discovery of errors in the way in which junior cycle data had been extracted and used within the model I (the Department) contracted with Educational Testing Services, the world-leading US-based non-profit organisation which specialises in educational measurement, to provide an independent expert opinion on the adequacy of the coding underpinning the standardization process, so as to provide a level of reassurance that students’ results are as intended by the standardization process. ETS evaluated the corrections made to the code and determined that the data extraction works as described in the technical document. It is the professional and expert opinion of ETS that the revision is now correct.
Departmental Data
Questions (235)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:235. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the location the servers that hosted data relating to leaving certificate calculated grades is or are based; the company that hosts same; and if the site portal had an up-to-date SSL certificate at all times that Irish student data was hosted on such a server. [29831/20]
View answerWritten answers
On registration for the Calculated Grades Student Portal, students were linked to a Privacy Notice for Students - Calculated Grades for Leaving Certificate 2020 in light of the postponement of the Leaving Certificate examinations.
This privacy notice detailed the categories of personal data that would be utilised in the processing of Calculated Grades. A copy of this privacy notice is available at https://www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Data-Protection/gdpr/parents-children/privacy-notice-students-calculated-grades-leaving-certificate-2020.pdf.
The student level data required for the system of Calculated Grades was hosted in Dublin by a third party, Microsoft Azure, for processing by Polymetrika Inc. All data processing by Polymetrika was authorised under a data processing agreement between this agent and the Department of Education and Skills.
The Calculated Grades Student Portal maintains an up to date SSL certificate.
State Examinations
Questions (236)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:236. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education when a person (details supplied) retired from an organisation or associated third party institute or foundation; and her views on whether it is proper in view of the person's close relationship with the organisation and that the organisation was chosen to complete the independent review of the calculated grades model and work, including that of the person. [29832/20]
View answerWritten answers
My Department appointed Dr. Kentaro Yamamoto to the Leaving Certificate Calculated Grades National Standardisation Group in an expert role which included a level of contingency cover for the company Polymetrika; as technical advisor on the standardisation process; and to provide expert advice and oversight regarding data integrity.
Prior to his retirement in May 2020, Dr. Yamamoto was Deputy Director of the Centre for Global Assessment in Educational Testing Service’s (ETS) Research & Development Division in Princeton, NJ. He had retired from ETS when contracted to work on the Calculated Grades National Standardisation Group.
Dr. Yamamoto had no role in the review conducted by ETS regarding the error in the coding for Calculated Grades.
State Examinations
Questions (237)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:237. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the positive factors which led to the choosing of a company (details supplied) to supply the leaving certificate calculated grading model; and if there was work of a similar purpose, or with a similar level and skill required, undertaken by the company previously. [29833/20]
View answerWritten answers
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.
As part of initial contingency planning for the Leaving Certificate 2020, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) procured international expertise through Polymetrika International Inc. (PII). PII’s principal, Fernando Cartwright, is a highly skilled expert in the areas of psychometrics, large-scale educational assessments, and computer programming related to these areas. He has had significant involvement with the Irish educational system since 2010 and, unlike most experts of his calibre, has a strong knowledge and familiarity with the Irish educational system. He worked with the Educational Research Centre in providing a full technical review of Ireland’s PISA results in 2009, producing innovative research in an Irish context that has had a global impact
Mr Cartwright’s extensive experience, expertise and unique set of skills, coupled with his knowledge of the Irish education system, were the reasons he was originally approached by the SEC. Other possible sources of expertise/agencies that the SEC or my Department might have turned to (such as OfQual in England, or the Scottish Qualifications Authority) were fully consumed with the development of their own alternative models, all of which were designed around the requirements of the A-level system rather than the broader-based Leaving Certificate approach.
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. This was done following the decision of Government on 8 May 2020 to postpone the Leaving Certificate Examinations.
State Examinations
Questions (238)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:238. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the level of oversight applied over the calculated grading formula; if all previous testing was replicated after it was amended to remove any aspect of school profiling in the days before the results were released. [29834/20]
View answerWritten answers
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. A range of steps were taken to ensure adequate oversight of the Calculated Grades process.
Technical details of the Calculated Grades model and standardisation process were published on the date of issue of the Calculated Grades results on 7 September and are available at https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/90d4a-calculated-grades-document-library/.
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.
The National Standardisation Group is the decision-making group responsible for the implementation of the iterative design and development cycles required to produce and refine the standardisation process and the application, review, and adjustment of the data in line with the commitments, principles, parameters and constraints associated with the calculated grades process to arrive at fair and just representations of student performance. The integrity, validity and reliability of the process of national standardisation was overseen by the National Standardisation Group.
Details regarding this group, including its terms of reference, membership and its decision making framework are available in the Report from the National Standardisation Group to the Independent Steering Committee and the Programme Board which is available at https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/90d4a-calculated-grades-document-library/. Minutes of the meetings of this group are available at https://www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Regulation-of-Lobbying-Act-2015/Groups-Committees-exempted-under-the-Transparency-Code/national-standardisation-group.html
A non-statutory Independent Steering Committee to oversee the quality and independence of the process being undertaken by the Calculated Grades Executive Office was established by me. The Steering Committee comprises six independent members appointed by me and is chaired by Dr Áine Lawlor, former Director of the Teaching Council. The Steering Committee was established to provide assurance as to the quality and integrity of the outcomes of the Calculated Grades system. The 1st Letter of Opinion regarding the Calculated Grades System of the Independent Steering Committee can be found at: https://www.gov.ie/pdf/86710/?page=null Details of the Independent Steering Committee including its membership are also available at the above link.
A Calculated Grades Programme Board provided governance and decision-making for the overall programme associated with the Calculated Grades Model and process. The Board was chaired by an Assistant Secretary General from the Department of Education and Skills and membership comprises officials from the Calculated Grades Executive Office, the wider Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
In addition, Dr Janet Brown, former Chief Executive of the Scottish Qualifications Authority, was appointed to the role of External Reviewer. The External Reviewer is an independent expert, unconnected with the design of the Calculated Grades model, who provides further independent oversight of the system and overall validation on the model, including the operation of the appeals system. Dr Brown’s Statement in Advance of the Issue of Results can be found at https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/90d4a-calculated-grades-document-library/.
The system of Calculated Grades is a complex and sophisticated system which had to be developed from scratch within an extremely tight timeframe in order for students to get their Calculated Grades results in time. The statistical model itself was developed specifically for the Irish Leaving Certificate. The Department had checks at a number of stages to ensure that data was collected correctly from schools and transferred correctly between the various stages of the standardisation process, the validation process and the grading processes.
State Examinations
Questions (239)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:239. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education if the bonus for completing leaving certificate exams through Irish was taken into consideration when the algorithm was being applied to give calculated grades to students from Gaelscoileanna; and if these students received the bonus for 2020. [29838/20]
View answerWritten answers
Circular letter 0037/2020, ‘Calculated Grades for Leaving Certificate 2020 - Guide for Schools on Providing Estimated Percentage Marks and Class Rank Orderings’, which was published on 21 May, set out the detailed guidance for schools on the operation of the Leaving Certificate calculated grades process. The document provided detailed information on the process of estimating marks for students to receive calculated grades.
This included guidance to schools that, in arriving at an estimated percentage mark in the case of students who were entered to take their examinations through Irish, the teacher should base her/his estimate of the student’s likely mark on the assumption that the bonus that is applicable for answering the written paper through Irish is included in the estimate. Therefore, as the bonus marks for sitting examinations through the medium of Irish had already been provided in the teacher estimates, this would also have been reflected in the final Calculated Grades awarded to the students.
Special Educational Needs
Questions (240)
Aindrias Moynihan
Question:240. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 203 and 204 of 20 May 2020, her plans to address the shortage of special class places in areas of County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29851/20]
View answerWritten answers
Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. Currently, almost 20% of the total Education Vote or €1.9bn is invested in supporting children with special needs.
The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and special needs assistants are at unprecedented levels.
Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased by almost 235% from 548 to 1,836 for the 2020/2021 school year. Of these 1,321 special classes are in primary schools.
Notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are some parts of the country, including Cork, where increases in population and other issues have led to concerns regarding a shortage of school places.
It is open to any school to seek to open a special class and there is a range of supports available for schools in terms of funding, specialist advice and professional development. As Minister, I have powers under Section 37A of the Education Act to direct a school to provide additional places but this power is only used as a last resort and where all reasonable efforts have failed.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. The NCSE is working with schools, patron bodies, parents and others in Cork to bring the additional special education placements on stream.
I am pleased to report that progress has been made with regard to the provision of additional special class places. However, the NCSE has identified the need for additional special school places in Cork for the current school-year. In this regard, I can confirm that my Department and the NCSE are working with the Patron and management of an existing special school on expanding its provision.
Planning is also underway to ensure that children in the Cork area are provided with a suitable placement in the next school-year. Through better planning at both national and local level, it is my objective that specialist education places should come on stream to meet emerging demand on a timely basis. However, the active collaboration of school communities is essential in this regard.
School Staff
Questions (241)
Seán Canney
Question:241. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education the progress being made in regard to the issue of school secretaries pay inequality; the date on which an acceptable proposal will be put forward; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29852/20]
View answerWritten answers
I am keenly aware of the vital role contributed by school secretaries within school communities and I recognise the very important work done by these staff, and the other support staff in the running of our schools. I have met with Fórsa, who represent many of the secretaries working in schools.
In recognition of their role, I have put special arrangements in place for the coming school year whereby schools will be funded to employ a replacement secretary or caretaker in the event that staff who are at very high risk of contracting serious illness from COVID-19 cannot work on the school premises. I have also extended the Employee Assistance Service to all school staff including secretaries.
On foot of a Chairman’s Note to the Lansdowne Road Agreement, my Department implemented the 2015 recommendations of an independent arbitrator. The Arbitrator recommended a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019 and that a minimum hourly pay rate of €13 be phased in over that period.
Fórsa trade union has tabled a follow-on claim from the 2015 agreement. Officials from my Department,the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and School Management Bodies met with Fórsa on 1 October under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission.
I am very keen that all parties resume meaningful discussion in the WRC with a view to reaching a mutually acceptable solution. In that respect, I have asked my officials to examine closely pay issues for secretaries and caretakers, as well as very important wider matters relating to their conditions of work, in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
The WRC process remains ongoing and I support the continued engagement between all parties in an effort to reach a mutually acceptable solution.
School Transport
Questions (242)
Michael McNamara
Question:242. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 519 of 29 September 2020, when a person (details supplied) will be facilitated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29859/20]
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.
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 2020/21 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020.
Bus Éireann have advised that the pupil the Deputy refers to first applied and paid for school transport for the 2020/21 school year on the 8th September 2020 and as such their payment 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.
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 Textbooks
Questions (243)
Cian O'Callaghan
Question:243. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if she will issue best practice guidelines to teachers on the best way to approach textbooks that contain racist language or racial slurs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29888/20]
View answerWritten answers
The role of the school is to provide an appropriate education for all its pupils. A stable, secure learning environment is an essential requirement to achieve this goal. Schools have autonomy in choosing the resources and programmes that best support the work within their own classrooms.
While respecting schools' autonomy, my Department has introduced a number of measures to assist schools as they become more inclusive of all cultures and ethnicities, celebrate diversity and challenge racism and discrimination.
My Department continues to address the areas of anti-racism, identity-based bullying and cultural awareness through a suite of supports including the recently revised ‘Stay Safe Programme’ and within Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to teachers at Primary and Post-Primary level and in initial teacher education. It will ensure that such programmes enable teachers to deal with teaching and learning needs of all students from all cultural backgrounds and provide support for pedagogical practices that promote inclusion.
In addition to the supports already available to teachers through current CPD programmes, the Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) History team are planning a number of continuous professional development opportunities for teachers in the school year 2020-21, to support them in teaching topics that include race/overcoming diversity. Work is underway to develop webinars and podcasts that support teachers in exploring diverse human histories with students and to develop resources on controversial issues such as racism and privilege in History.
My Department's ‘Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice (2019)' acknowledges that schools provide opportunities to develop friendships and to respectfully encounter diversity and access support structures. The policy promotes the provision of a whole-school approach at both primary and post-primary level to supporting wellbeing, an approach that has been found internationally to produce a wide range of educational and social benefits for individual children and young people, including increased inclusion, greater social cohesion, increased social capital and improvements to mental health.
The Action Plan on Bullying, published in January 2013, sets out my Department's approach to tackling bullying and promoting an anti-bullying culture in schools. It recommended 12 actions that focus on support for schools, teacher training, research and awareness raising and aims to ensure that all forms of bullying including identity based bullying are addressed. National Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post Primary schools, were published in September 2013 and are being implemented in all 4,000 primary and post primary schools throughout the country. The procedures are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour including identity based bullying amongst their pupils. The procedures make clear that the definition of bullying behaviour includes identity-based bullying such as racist bullying. The procedures require that the prevention of bullying must be an integral part of a school’s anti-bullying policy.
In addition, curriculum at both primary and post-primary aims to foster inclusivity where equality and diversity are promoted. The Primary Curriculum acknowledges the importance of a balanced and informed awareness of the diversity of peoples and environments in the world. Such an awareness helps children to understand the world and contributes to their personal and social development as citizens of a global community. The curriculum promotes tolerance and respect for diversity in both the school and the community. The Social Personal and Health Education Curriculum (SPHE) supports students learning in the areas of inclusion, diversity and counter racism. The SPHE content is complemented by the work carried out in social, environmental and scientific education (SESE) at primary SESE enables the child to live as an informed and caring member of local and wider communities.
The Junior Cycle curriculum is designed in terms of learning outcomes, so it allows the flexibility and room for innovative approaches to content to suit the context of a given classroom. Learning outcomes from the junior cycle can be related to many topical issues. In addition, there are twenty four statements of learning which should inform the programme designed by all schools. One of these statements is: (The student) appreciates and respects how diverse values, beliefs and traditions have contributed to the communities and culture in which she/he lives
As a result of the learning outcomes approach, teachers can facilitate discussion around diversity, prejudice, discrimination and racism, as well as the many other topical issues which might arise during the course of a class. For example, in Learning Outcome 1.2 (JC History) students are asked to consider contentious or controversial issues in history from more than one perspective and discuss the historical roots of a contentious or controversial issue or theme in the contemporary world
The two Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs) in the junior cycle specification allows students to explore topics that are interesting and relevant to their own lives. There are often opportunities for these projects to be exhibited or shared with classmates or with the school, so that there is greater awareness and understanding of the issues discussed.
As part of the Department’s ongoing curricular reform consideration of issues in relation to inclusivity/diversity etc. will be considered as part of the ongoing reviews in relation to the primary curriculum and senior cycle at post-primary.
In terms of textbooks used within a classroom setting, the Department has no role in promoting any particular text or resource used in the delivery of the curriculum, apart from a list of prescribed texts for Junior and Senior Cycle. A diverse range of authors, including poets and playwrights, is included in the prescribed lists of texts and schools have the autonomy to choose any text from these lists, in order to best serve the needs of their learners.
A variety of factors influence the selection of prescribed texts, including the aspiration to achieve social and cultural diversity and inclusivity, the age appropriateness of texts, the merit of the text on grounds of excellence, as well as practical factors, such as availability and cost.
As prescribed lists are developed from year to year, additional factors come to the fore and influence the choices made. In addition, newly published authors are considered for inclusion. Contemporary issues and world events also impact on prescription.
It is the intention that prescribed texts for are diverse and inclusive, and meet the needs of teachers and students.
Schools Building Projects
Questions (244)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:244. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the status of the progression of the building of a secondary school in Ballincollig, County Cork. [29905/20]
View answerWritten answers
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the Department will be devolving the delivery of the project for the school to which he refers to Cork Educational Training Board (CETB).
The next step in that respect is for CETB to enter into a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the Department. Once this is in place, CETB will then proceed with the appointment of a design team to progress the project through design, planning and construction in due course.
State Examinations
Questions (245)
Michael McNamara
Question:245. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Education the exact guidelines the schools applied to predict grades and ranking; if this was properly proofed; if this includes the junior certificate for 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29908/20]
View answerWritten 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 Calculated Grades system was designed to use estimates of students’ likely performance in the Leaving Certificate examinations (collected from schools following an alignment process overseen by the school’s principal) and a national standardisation process to produce Leaving Certificate results.
Circular letter 0037/2020 included ‘Calculated Grades for Leaving Certificate 2020 - Guide for Schools on Providing Estimated Percentage Marks and Class Rank Orderings’, which was published on 21 May, set out the detailed guidance for schools on the operation of the calculated grades process. The document provided detailed information on the process of estimating marks for students to receive calculated grades. Additional guidance to schools on the avoidance of unconscious bias and interpreting evidence of achievement in the case of students with disabilities was issued to schools on 28 May.
Under the process schools provided an estimated percentage mark and a rank order for each student’s subjects. In line with the guidance, teachers were firstly asked to use their professional judgement to arrive at an estimated subject percentage mark and class ranking for each student. The guidance required teachers to utilise a number of records in assessing a student’s performance and progress; for example, classwork and homework; class assessments; examinations in school at Christmas or summer, mock exams and also coursework. The teacher estimation stage was followed by an in-school alignment process. The main purpose of the alignment process was to ensure that all teachers who were providing estimated percentage marks in respect of the same subject in the school were applying standards that were appropriate and were consistent with each other when doing so.
The process of national standardisation was subsequently applied to the school information in order to ensure comparability between the standards applied by individual schools and the national standard. It is known from research that teachers are very good at making judgements about their students in the local context of the school. It was inherent to the system of calculated grades that school estimates would be subject to adjustment through this standardisation process. The adjustments that occurred through standardisation 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.
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 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.
School Transport
Questions (246)
Seán Sherlock
Question:246. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education the number of applicants for school transport that are now availing of the stipend for private travel by county in tabular form. [29918/20]
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.
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 2020/2021 school year where such services are in operation.
My 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. My Department has also been engaging with Bus Éireann on the logistics involved with the rolling implementation of measures on post-primary services as required to provide physical distancing, in line with those required on public transport, aligned to the public health advice received shortly before schools reopened which advised that the post-primary scheme should run at 50% capacity.
My Department is engaging with Bus Éireann in respect of these plans, in order to implement measures so that any post-primary services that could operate from the start of the school year at 50% capacity are doing so and over the coming period all other post-primary transport services will be re-organised and additional services will be provided as required to allow for physical distancing
I am pleased to advise that Government has agreed to provide the necessary funding to ensure that full implementation of the public health recommendation of running buses for post-primary children is achieved as quickly as possible on the post-primary scheme and on the special educational needs scheme for post-primary children. As well as additional funding, significant numbers of additional vehicles, drivers and bus escorts will be required. Bus Éireann is implementing different means of providing extra capacity with existing operators, including upgrading vehicles, additional runs or additional vehicles being provided. Where additional services will need to be procured, Bus Éireann has put in place a framework of operators that are willing to provide additional services where required.
For those children who are eligible for transport under the terms of the post-primary school transport scheme and whose parents decide not to use post-primary transport for the 2020/2021 school year, in light of the impact of most recent health advice, my Department will provide a grant to support them with the cost of private transport arrangements. Parents of children on mainstream services were asked to inform the Department by Friday 4 of September and parents of children on Special Educational Needs services were asked to inform the Department by 18 of September, if they wished to avail of this option. Grants will be paid at the end of the school year following receipt of relevant documentation confirming the number of days the child/ren have attended school in the 2020/2021 school year.
I can advise that, to date, my Department has contacted 336 families of mainstream eligible children to confirm their request and to outline next steps in regard to availing of this grant. My Department is currently processing the details in the emails received from families of children on SEN services and will shortly be contacting these families in regard to the next steps. When this process is complete my Department will contact the Deputy directly with full information on the numbers of families that have opted to avail of the grant towards the cost of making their own transport arrangements and will provide this information by county in tabular form as requested.