Written Answers Nos. 65-79
65. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Education the status of the school transport scheme; if she will report on the expected time frame for the recommended 50% capacity to be fully operational across the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30113/20]
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 Eireann 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. The requirement to operate at 50% capacity will be implemented on a rolling basis as quickly as possible.
66. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the supports that have been put in place to assist students who have decided to sit their leaving certificate examination in November 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29867/20]
View answerThe Leaving Certificate, including the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and Applied, written examinations will commence on 16 November 2020 and will take place over a 4-week period to 11 December 2020. Detailed information regarding the arrangements for these examinations can be found on the website of the State Examinations Commission at https://www.examinations.ie/?l=en&mc=ex&sc=se.
The State Examinations Commission (SEC) will operate the examinations in line with public health guidelines at the time. In line with current policy, candidates will not be able to attend at school to sit these examinations if they are suffering from COVID-19, have symptoms of the virus or are required to self-isolate or restrict their movements due to the virus.
Following the closure of schools in March 2020, the Department published a range of guidance to assist schools and teachers in ensuring continuity of teaching and learning for students, as well as supporting their wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This guidance aimed to ensure regular engagement of students in lessons, tasks and learning experiences across the range of curriculum subjects, provision of regular assignments and regular, practical, supportive and customised feedback on work submitted. Schools engaged with their students in various ways, in accordance with the technology and broadband resources available in school and at home.
The aim of the remote learning approaches adopted by schools, the guidance that was issued to all schools, and the regular engagement with students, was to ensure that students stayed connected with and progressed their learning. These actions will, therefore, have helped to minimise the impact of the school closures and to enable students to complete the curriculum before tuition ceased on 11 May.
Students choosing to sit the postponed examinations will have additional time to prepare for examination and, if they choose, may opt to sit less than the full suite of examinations.
Candidates for postponed examinations are no longer students in schools and the school which they attended will be fully engaged with 6th year students who will be preparing for examinations in 2021, as well as full cohorts of students in every other year.
Candidates who have been approved by the State Examinations Commission for the use of reasonable accommodation(s) for the June examinations will have access to these accommodation(s) in November.
These measures include alternative scheduling of an examination(s) (e.g. to facilitate medical treatment) provided such was possible within the confines of the day/evening of the examination. This could involve either early or late examinations sittings requiring candidates to be supervised so that they did not have access to other candidates who had already sat or who have yet to sit the examinations in question, though noting that this facility will be quite limited in November as the examinations take place during the normal school year. Candidates can also have access to a special examination centre and the provision of rest breaks during the examinations.
It is not possible to approve new applications for reasonable accommodation in any other circumstances, other than the normal emergency application process which applies each year.
It is highly unlikely that it will be possible to facilitate sitting examinations in hospital settings in November due to HSE restrictions on access to hospitals as a consequence of COVID-19.
67. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education the status of the new primary school building in Charlesland, Greystones, County Wicklow; when students of schools (details supplied) will access their new school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29800/20]
View answerThe building referred to by Deputy has not yet been handed over. My Department is taking appropriate steps to ensure that it is completely satisfied that the building is fit for handover prior to accepting it. There is currently an engagement underway between my Department and the Contractor in this regard under the contract.
The post-primary school to which the Deputy refers opened in September 2020 in interim accommodation in the Greystones Tennis Club.
Department officials met with Kildare Wicklow ETB (KWETB) and Greystones Community College recently to discuss the schools current arrangements and the immediate and future accommodation requirements for the school.
My Department has agreed to look at all potential options in the area in the short and medium term ahead of the schools move to its designated permanent site in Charlesland, Greystones. This will include the provision of appropriate temporary accommodation, including specialist rooms, as quickly as possible as the current school year progresses.
My Department officials will continue to work closely with KWETB to ensure the needs of the school community continue to be met.
68. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Education if she has reviewed the case of a student (details supplied) who was downgraded in four subjects from her teacher grades as opposed to all of her class peers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25942/20]
View answerThe 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 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.
69. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education her views on the fairness of putting some secondary school secretaries on short-term contracts; her views on the low salary scale they are on and the issues they face regarding pension entitlements; if she will clarify her position to those due to engage in industrial action; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30283/20]
View answerI 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.
70. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education if she will address matters regarding school bus services (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29606/20]
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.
In relation to the area referred to by the Deputy, Bus Éireann has confirmed that of the 117 services running in the area (mainstream and SEN) 34% of these services are now running within 50% capacity and implementation of 50% capacity on the remainder of these services is ongoing.
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.
71. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education the protections in place for teachers, in particular those with underlying medical conditions, in the case of a positive Covid-19 test in their schools; and the protocols for schools to notify staff, parents and students in cases in which there is a positive test in a school. [30224/20]
View answerMy Department has published a suite of helpful guidance for the safe and sustainable reopening of schools, in line with public health advice, including guidance on the completion and implementation of a Covid-19 response plan by primary, special and post-primary schools. Each school is required to have a COVID-19 Response Plan in place. Covid-19 response plans are the means through which schools can best prevent the introduction and spread of Covid-19 in the school environment. Covid-19 response plans set out the practical steps schools must take to minimise the risk of introduction and transmission of Covid-19 in the school environment and provide for the safe operation of schools.
An employee in the ‘high risk’ group who is not ill must attend the workplace. In accordance with HSE advice, the employee in the ‘high risk’ group should take extra care to practice social distancing and hand hygiene. The Covid 19 response plan outlines the arrangements in place to ensure a safe workplace for all employees. Those deemed ‘high risk’ and ‘normal risk’ can attend the workplace safely where the school is implementing the Covid-19 Response Plan and the health advice for schools.
The 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. In practice, this involves the HSE Department of Public Health liaising directly with the designated contact, usually the school principal of the public health instructions. The risk assessment includes HSE advice and guidance on communication to pupils and staff in the event of a confirmed case in the school.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has considered the national experience of school reopening to date, including the epidemiological data and information gathered through case and outbreak management. The experience to date since schools reopened is reassuring and supports the current international position that schools and childcare facilities do not appear to be key drivers of COVID-19 transmission in the community. It is clear that the exceptional efforts of school staff, children and parents/guardians in implementing the public health guidance has contributed to the safe and successful reopening of schools in Ireland.
My Department has also recently published detailed FAQs for school principals in relation to the COVID-19 Testing Pathway for school communities. These FAQs will greatly assist principals to understand and manage situations as they arise in their schools and they include HSE contact details, including for out of hours for any queries that the FAQs do not address.
72. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Education the steps she will take to ensure that the pupils of first class in a school (details supplied) do not end up in overcrowded classes of over 30 children to a single teacher due to the refusal of her officials to allow the retention of a 12th teacher from 24 October 2020 onwards; if she will have the decision reversed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29983/20]
View answerThe 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. This school is 57 pupils below what they had indicated as their projected enrolment for September and the enrolment returned by the school for September 2020 is lower than the previous September's enrolment.
The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board.
The school has submitted an appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board which will be considered at its meeting later this month. The school will be informed of the Board's decision in due course.
The Primary Staffing Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.
73. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the measures being advised for students in primary and secondary schools who have family members at home with severe underlying health conditions that would place their lives at risk should an incident of Covid-19 occur in their schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23680/20]
View answerMy Department is aware that some parents and children will have concerns about returning to school. My Department has developed and prepared a comprehensive response to supporting the wellbeing of school communities at this time. NEPS will work with schools to support them to meet the needs of their students on their return to school.
The HPSC has produced guidance in relation to the return to school for at risk groups. It outlines that children with immediate family members, including parents, in both the ‘high risk’ and ‘very high risk’ categories can return to school and it is important for the child’s overall well-being.
This is consistent with public health advice internationally in relation to at-risk family members. The guidance is available at the following link.
https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/educationguidance/HSE%20advice%20on%20return%20to%20school.pdf
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, which has been highly effective to date. Schools are proving to be safe places for children and this is recognised by public health teams who have acknowledged that schools are successfully implementing the HPSC recommendations and keeping transmission levels very low.
The key priority however is that the household continues to follow all current advice on how to minimise the risk of coronavirus, through regular hand washing, cough etiquette etc.
74. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education when a proposed building project at a school (details supplied) will proceed to the next stage in view of the urgent need to upgrade existing accommodation and provide new accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30281/20]
View answerIn 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.
75. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the status of the delivery of a new building for a school (details supplied). [30278/20]
View answerMy Department is committed to the provision of a new school building for the school referred to by the Deputy. A new site is required to facilitate this and my Department is considering a potential option in this regard.
My Department will update the school authorities on any developments as they arise. In the meantime, I understand that arrangements have been made for the school to access additional interim accommodation in the building adjoining the school.
76. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Education the status of the review of the school bus transport scheme; and when she plans to have this review completed. [30212/20]
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. 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.
In October 2019, my predecessor announced a review of the school transport scheme with a view to ensuring funds are being spent in the most effective way to meet the objectives of the scheme. Terms of reference and the scope of the review have been drafted and a Steering Group has been established.
Given the current evolving situation with Covid-19 and the continued restrictions the work of the Steering Group has been delayed. It is intended to convene the Steering Group shortly and to agree and supplement revised terms of reference to reflect the Programme for Government.
The Review will build on the proposals in the Programme for Government as they relate to school transport.
77. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if she will consider an elongated school break at Christmas 2020 to alleviate the pressure of Covid-19 on schools and pupils. [30272/20]
View answerThe National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has considered the national experience of school reopening to date, including the epidemiological data and information gathered through case and outbreak management. The experience to date since schools reopened is reassuring and supports the current international position that schools and childcare facilities do not appear to be key drivers of COVID-19 transmission in the community. It is clear that the exceptional efforts of school staff, children and parents/guardians in implementing the public health guidance has contributed to the safe and successful reopening of schools in Ireland.
The scheduling of the school holiday periods during the academic years is agreed between the managerial authorities of schools, the teacher unions and my Department for the purposes of standardising breaks at Christmas, Easter and mid-term and there are no plans to close schools for purposes of elongating any school break. The importance of schools for the overall health and wellbeing of children cannot be overstated and the risk of COVID-19 must be carefully weighed against the very real harm that can be caused by sustained school closures.
78. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the status of a proposal for the amalgamation of schools in Ennistymon, County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25938/20]
View answerThe three post primary schools in Ennistymon have agreed to amalgamate on delivery of a new school building. The 3 schools in question are Scoil Mhuire, CBS and Ennistymon Vocational School. The new school building is to cater for a long-term projected enrolment of 650 pupils.
The project to provide a new school for the amalgamation of the schools in Ennistymon was recently approved to go to tender.
Subject to no issue arising during the tender process it is anticipated that construction should begin in Quarter 2, 2021
79. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education her plans to ensure universal availability of a schoolbook rental scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29736/20]
View answerMy Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €16.9 million in 2019 to all of these schools.
Additional funding of €1million provided under Budget 2020 was allocated to 102 Primary DEIS schools for a new pilot programme for the 2020/21 school year. The aim of this pilot is to provide free school books for students in the schools involved, and to support these schools in eliminating the cost of school books for parents. It will run for the period of one year and its effectiveness and impact will be monitored and evaluated before any decision is made as regards its possible extension or continuation. Under Circular 46/2013, DEIS schools receive a book grant of €21 per student. This pilot will provide an additional €64 per student to increase the overall book grant rate to €85 per student enrolled in the school. This additional funding issued to schools in May 2020.
School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school books for parents and in order to support the establishment of book rental schemes my Department provided €15.7 million seed capital in 2014, 2015 and 2016 to primary schools. Circa. 96% of primary schools and 68% of post-primary schools operate a book rental scheme
It is a matter for the Board of Management of each individual school to decide on its own policy in relation to the use of book grant funding in the school but they are expected to adopt a cost-conscious approach to the selection of books for use in their classes. The current arrangement relies on the local knowledge of the school in order to ensure a fair allocation of funds to those most in need.
