Written Answers Nos. 33-48
33. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Education the number of staff in secondary and primary schools confirmed as having contracted Covid-19 since schools reopened; the procedures for their return to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30252/20]
View answerThe Health Protection Surveillance Centre and the HSE have published guidance for managing potential cases of COVID-19 in educational settings, which includes the testing strategy within an educational facility ‘Schools Pathway for COVID-19, the Public Health approach’
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/a0bff-reopening-our-primary-and-special-schools/
This guidance provides that the HSE Department of Public Health will liaise directly with schools regarding any actions to be taken following a Public Health Risk Assessment.
As of 6th October, a total 252 schools have had/are having some testing completed as a consequence of a Public Health Risk Assessment. From the 252 schools that had mass tests, with 6000 students and staff having been tested, an additional 112 detected cases have been identified over and above original cases (a positive detection rate of COVID-19 of less than 2%).
The Department of Health also note that these additional cases did not necessarily develop COVID-19 as a result of contact with an index case in the school, and the additional cases detected via contact tracing are likely to include people who contracted COVID-19 as result of exposure in the wider community (e.g. household/social setting).
My Department has provided guidance in circular 49/20 Coronavirus (COVID-19): ‘Arrangements for Teachers and Special Needs Assistants employed in recognised Primary and Post Primary schools’, which includes guidance on an employee returning to work following a COVID 19 diagnosis. https://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0049_2020.pdf.
34. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Education the testing process to the calculated grade system prior to it being used; her views on whether the tests were robust enough; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29991/20]
View answerThe 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.
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 the following link 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 my Department, the Educational Research Centre, and international external expertise.
The integrity, validity and reliability of the process of national standardisation was overseen by the National Standardisation Group whose role was to oversee the application of the statistical model to the school data.
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.
In order to make sure that the standardisation process was doing what it was supposed to do, a separate additional process was carried out called validation.
Validation is an inherent element of any statistical system, and in the Calculated Grades model the purpose of validation is to ensure that the statistical model is behaving as expected, and is achieving its objectives. The validation process has been part of the design from the beginning.
The workings of the statistical model were reviewed and validated in a number of ways. There was a review of the distributions of results for each subject and level. There was also a review of the demographic characteristics of the outcomes, which included gender and socio-economic status of the school.
The purpose of the review of the outcomes of the statistical model was to check whether the Calculated Grades model was resulting in any particular group being advantaged or disadvantaged relative to previous years’ outcomes. It is important to note that this assessment was being made relative to previous years. For example, the validation checked whether or not disadvantage effects, or gender effects are being exacerbated under the model. This was to ensure that the model presented outcomes that were as fair and equitable as possible given its constraints, and were in line with previous outcomes as much as is possible.
The purpose of the Calculated Grades system is to arrive at the grade that each student would have achieved if the examinations had taken place as normal. The validation process checked whether the interactions between these characteristics and the calculated results were similar to the interactions in the historical data between these characteristics and examination results.
I regret that a number of coding errors were found in the Calculated Grades process. These errors, which related to the processing of Junior Cycle data, required the process to be run again, resulting in improved Calculated Grades being provided to some students on 3 October. I announced on that date that I had asked that a comprehensive independent review of the design and implementation of the Calculated Grades process should take place when the process is complete. The full scope of that review will be clearly set out in advance.
35. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education the status of an application by a school (details supplied); if same will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30214/20]
View answer48. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education if an application in respect of a proposed building project at a school (details supplied) will proceed to the next stage without further delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30282/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 48 together.
In relation to the school referred to by the Deputy, I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme. The School Authority has recently agreed to a proposed project brief, which includes specialist teaching accommodation, but does not include a new Physical Education (PE) Hall, as this does not fall under the remit of the ASA scheme.
The School Authority has applied separately for major capital funding for a PE Hall. As the Deputy is aware, the provision of PE Halls form part of the accommodation brief for all newly established schools. These facilities may also form part of the overall accommodation brief for major capital extensions to existing schools. Details of large-scale projects being delivered under the school building programme may be viewed on my Department's website, www.education.ie and this information is updated regularly.
The main focus of resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics. The second half of the NDP (from 2023 onwards) will see an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock. This will include a PE Hall build and modernisation programme to ensure that students in all post-primary schools have access to appropriate facilities to support PE provision.
The immediate priority of my Department is providing new and replacement school places each year, to ensure that every child has a school place.
36. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education her views on amending the requirement for Bus Éireann to secure the necessary buses and drivers to get school transport in County Donegal to 50% capacity; and if all parents currently seeking a place on their local school bus for their children will be facilitated first. [29982/20]
View answerSchool 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 Department has been engaging intensively with Bus Éireann in regard to the logistics for the safe operation of School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/2021 school year. The 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.
The implementation of 50% capacity has been put in place where possible over the last number of weeks, while Bus Éireann has been carrying out a detailed analysis of the resources required to fully implement the advice on all routes. Over the coming weeks, Bus Éireann will be implementing 50% capacity on a rolling basis as soon as it is possible to do so on each individual route.
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.
An analysis has been conducted to determine what is required to fully implement all post-primary school services to operate at 50% capacity. The estimated full year cost to operate all services at 50% capacity is between €87m and €135m with an estimated requirement for an additional 1,600 drivers and vehicles and 650 additional School Bus Escorts.
Further detailed planning is being done through the local offices on a route by route basis to plan appropriate measures to provide the additional capacity required. As the additional capacity is rolled out, where spare capacity is created, further tickets will be allocated to those children eligible for the scheme who have paid late and for other applicants seeking concessionary tickets.
37. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education when the new ASD unit will open in a school (details supplied); the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25990/20]
View answerThe school building project to which the Deputy refers was approved funding under the Additional Accommodation Scheme 2019 to enable the school to build a two classroom SEN base.
The project has been devolved for delivery to Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB (DDLETB) and a Design Team has been appointed to lead this project. The project is currently in Architectural Design. Site surveys and investigations have commenced and a pre-planning meeting has been held with South Dublin County Council in advance of preparing the Stage 1 Preliminary Design Report. This is expected to be with my Department before the end of this year.
Following the Stage 1 submission, a meeting between Department officials, DDLETB, the Design Team and the School Authority may be required to discuss the submission and agree any adjustments to the brief and the project budget.
It is not possible to provide an accurate timeframe for the progression of the project at this early stage in the architectural planning process.
38. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the degree to which outstanding issues relating to the upgrading or downgrading of leaving certificate marks has been resolved to the satisfaction of students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30271/20]
View answerOn 03 October I announced that improved Calculated Grades would issue that day to students impacted by the errors that were found in the Calculated Grades process.
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.
CAO Round 4 offers issued on 8 October. As part of that round, I understand that 485 CAO applicants received new offers on this date on foot of having improved results following the errors in the Calculated Grades. These 485 applicants received 422 Level 8 offers and 75 Level 7/6 offers between them.
All of these applicants have an opportunity to start the courses offered in Round 4 in the current academic year.
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.
There has been an increase in the numbers of available places in colleges so that improved CAO offers can be made to 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 recent CAO offers, 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.
I also announced on 3 October that I had asked that a comprehensive independent review of the design and implementation of the Calculated Grades process should take place when the process is complete. The full scope of the review will be clearly set out in advance.
39. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education her plans to provide permanent accommodation for a school (details supplied); the time frame for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29799/20]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, a major capital project for the provision of permanent accommodation for the school in question is being addressed through my Department's Capital Programme.
My Department proposes to master plan a 12 acre site owned by the ETB to demonstrate how the accommodation needs of the school, as well as the existing education provider on the site, could potentially be met, which will be mutually beneficial for both parties. The draft plan is well advanced at this point.
In the meantime, arrangements are in train to refurbish interim alternative accommodation for the school and it is intended that the property will be ready for occupation shortly.
40. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education the number of concessionary school bus passes issued in September 2020; and the number issued in the same period in each of the years 2015 to 2019. [30084/20]
View answerSchool 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 School Transport Scheme Primary children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Post Primary children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest 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.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application process on time, are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Concessionary transport may vary from year to year and cannot be guaranteed for the duration of a child’s post primary school education cycle. Where the number of applications for transport on a concessionary basis exceeds the number of seats available, Bus Éireann determines the allocation of the tickets and refunds payments made on behalf of those concessionary applicants for whom no seats remain.
The number of concessionary school bus passes issued in September 2020; and the number issued in the same period in each of the years 2015 to 2019 as requested by the Deputy is not readily available and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
41. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education if protection is being put in place for schools that integrate children into mainstream classes to indemnify them against litigation in the event of a Covid-19 case causing the death or long-term injury to a pupil resulting from that integration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30159/20]
View answerMy Department has published a suite of helpful guidance for the safe and sustainable reopening of schools. Each school is required to have a COVID-19 Response Plan for the safe operation through the prevention, early detection and control of COVID-19 in line with public health advice. This guidance is focused on the practical steps schools must take to minimise the risk of transmission of infection.
Increasing separation and decreasing interaction is the basis of which physical distancing is achieved in schools in so far as is practicable. My Department has published helpful templates for schools on classroom layout to increase separation to the greatest degree possible.
The objective is to limit contact between children in different class bubbles and pods as much as possible rather than to avoid all contact between pods as this will not always be possible. In this regard pupils in special classes should continue to interact, or integrate, with mainstream classes.
However, the number of mainstream classes with which each special class pupil integrates should be minimised, in order to maintain pod grouping to the greatest extent possible, and to assist contact and tracing mechanisms, should this become necessary.
At primary school level this may mean each special class pupil integrating with one mainstream class only.
At post-primary school level, this may mean special class pupils attending only those mainstream classes necessary for their subject participation.
42. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education the support measures she will put in place to help private bus operators transport children to and from school in view of the fact they cannot operate at full capacity resulting in some operators not providing services going forward (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25036/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.
Based on the public health advice published in early July, my Department has been planning for School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/2021 school year to fully operate, but with additional measures and hygiene requirements in place. The Department has been engaging intensively with Bus Éireann in regard to the logistics for the safe operation of School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/2021 school year.
Updated health advice was received from NPHET on the 18th August, which impacts on the operation of post-primary school transport services. This advice stated that for secondary school students on school transport, strict distancing should be ensured in line with that on public transport along with the wearing of face coverings.
The Department is engaging with Bus Éireann in respect of these plans, in order to implement measures so that any services that can operate from the start of the school year at 50% capacity will do so and over the coming period all other post-primary transport services will be re-organised and additional services will be provided as required to allow for physical distancing.
Commercial contractors who provide transport for schools on a private hire or commercial basis but who are not contracted by Bus Éireann to operate on the Department’s School Transport Scheme do not fall under the remit of the Department of Education. However, the Department has reminded schools and other stakeholders that public health advice is best practice on these services also.
44. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education her plans to ensure active continued engagement with education partners and student representatives to the end of 2020 and in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30095/20]
View answerMy Department published The Roadmap for the full return to School on 27 July 2020. This details the ongoing communication arrangements and continued stakeholder engagement on the implementation of the measures set out in the roadmap to support the continued operation of schools. In this regard the Roadmap states that my Department will continue to engage closely with education partners and other key stakeholders on the implementation of measures set out in the roadmap to support the continued operation of schools
Detailed stakeholder engagement has been a critical factor in identifying the complex challenges that arise for schools and school leaders across a number of areas, including logistical challenges in meeting cleaning and physical distancing requirements, curriculum and assessment matters, and the wellbeing and welfare of the school community on reopening.
My Department is actively continuing to engage closely and intensively with education partners and other key stakeholders on the refinement and development of guidance related to the operation of schools.
45. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education her plans to introduce a laptop rental scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29737/20]
View answerThe 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 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 has recently been issued 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).
In the context of the current public health crisis the funding can be focussed on assisting schools to address ICT needs including devices, software and infrastructural solutions to support the provision of remote learning, include the purchase of digital devices that can be shared with students who do not have access to devices.
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.
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.
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, purchasing regulations, are addressed in the support information.
46. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if she will report on the discussions she has had with the teachers' representatives regarding safety in schools. [29977/20]
View answerMy Department has been in comprehensive and intensive engagement with education stakeholders including the school management bodies and staff representatives for the purposes of ensuring that schools opened in a safe and sustainable way. These consultations involved the development and publication of important and helpful guidance and the provision of a substantial funding package to support the safe operation of schools. These engagements will continue to help address any issues that arise in schools in the context of COVID-19.
Each school is required to have a COVID-19 Response Plan which outlines the measures for the safe operation of the school through the prevention, early detection and control of COVID-19 in line with public health advice. The guidance provided is focused on the practical steps schools must take to minimise the risk of transmission of infection, which has been highly effective to date.
Every school has at least 1 Lead Worker Representative whose role is to represent staff and who may consult with, and make representations to, school management on any issue of concern in relation to COVID-19.
My Department has in place an enhanced Occupational Health Service with the current OHS provider is Medmark Occupational Healthcare Ltd. Medmark has a process in place for school staff with health concerns about their risk of serious illness from contracting COVID-19, through workplace attendance. The risk categorisation is comprehensive and follows the same process that is being applied across other sectors.
47. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Education the number of staff in her Department assigned to deal with securing a new site for a school (details supplied); the number of meetings held with council planners, local auctioneers and landowners to date in 2020; if these meetings have advanced the new site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29849/20]
View answerThe building project for Gaelscoil an Chaisleain is included in my Department's capital programme.
Officials in my Department continue to liaise with officials in Cork City Council and other relevant parties in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable site for the school.
A number of site options have been identified and assessed. A potential site option has been identified. Negotiations with the landowner in respect of the preferred site option to accommodate the school are under way. As the Deputy will appreciate negotiations in respect of site acquisitions are, by their nature, sensitive and for that reason I am not in a position to provide further information at this time. However, I assure him that all parties are working to bring matters to a conclusion at the earliest possible date and Department officials will continue to keep the relevant school authorities appraised of progress.
