Paul Donnelly
Question:702. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Education the location of a new school building for a school (details supplied); and if more than one location is in contention. [32303/20]
View answerSchools Building Projects
Questions (702)
Written answers
In line with the policy on the use of State assets (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circulars 11/15 and 17/16) the Department are seeking to maximize the use of sites already in its ownership and of available properties in the ownership of other State bodies, where these are considered suitable.
Identified site options are currently being considered including potential campus solutions on existing post-primary school sites. The suitability of these site options are currently being technically assessed.
Unfortunately, due to certain sensitivities I am not in a position to indicate the location at this time, however, the proposed location for the school will be made known as soon as it is possible to do so.
School Facilities
Questions (703)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:703. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education if there are plans to improve water supply to a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary, as the school has a "do not consume" notice in place since 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32311/20]
View answerWritten answers
I would like to inform the Deputy that the provision of water does not lie within the remit of my Department. However, the Emergency Works Team is prepared to consider any reasonable alternative to a water tank that the school in question may suggest.
School Funding
Questions (704)
Fergus O'Dowd
Question:704. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education further to correspondence from me on a matter, the steps taken to assist by way of providing emergency funding to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32315/20]
View answerWritten answers
The school referred to by the Deputy applied for funding under the Department's Emergency Works Scheme in November 2019; the categories applied for were Mechanical (Heating) and Roof Works. The Emergency Works Team was aware that the school was meant to decant to temporary accommodation in the near future and on that premise funding was refused, as it would not represent value for money.
It has recently come to the attention of the Emergency Works Team that the decanting of the school to temporary accommodation has been delayed and if the school was to appeal the initial refusal on these grounds, an appeal of that nature would be looked upon favourably.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Questions (705)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Question:705. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education the number of schools that have been notified by the HSE that they have had a case of Covid-19 since schools returned in September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32333/20]
View answerWritten answers
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
As of 29 October a total of 611 education facilities (primary, post primary and special education facilities) have undergone mass testing following Public Health Risk Assessment.
The positivity rate of close contacts testing in educational facilities including primary, post-primary and special educational needs facilities as of 29/10/20 is 2.6% with 15,774 close contacts tested. In comparison the positivity of testing for close contacts in the community, is approximately 10%.
Emergency Works Scheme
Questions (706)
Cathal Crowe
Question:706. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the status of the emergency works scheme application for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32344/20]
View answerWritten answers
I would like to inform the Deputy that the school in question has submitted an application for funding under my Department's emergency works scheme. Additional information has been requested from the school to support its application and when this has been received a decision will be made and communicated directly to the school authority.
Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
Questions (707)
Jackie Cahill
Question:707. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education if a guarantee that a school (details supplied) that moved many of its teaching facilities to the local GAA centre, in order to comply with Covid-19 restrictions and have more space, will have the cost of its rent at the facility covered by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32361/20]
View answerWritten answers
I can confirm to the Deputy that the rental of the premises, for the school in question, has recently been approved and the that the school authority has been advised accordingly.
State Examinations
Questions (708)
Cian O'Callaghan
Question:708. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if she will make available the data set used to calculate the final results for 2020 leaving certificate students, in anonymised form, to the public domain and provide a clear statement of the algorithm and a worked example based on the data set. [32365/20]
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 this year.
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.
Calculated Grades were generated using a combination of information provided by the school about a student’s expected performance in an examination and national data available in relation to the performance of students in examinations over a period of time.
Schools provided an estimated percentage mark and a rank order for each student’s subjects. The process of national standardisation was then applied to the school information in order to ensure comparability between the standards applied by individual schools and the national standard.
The Leaving Certificate results from any one year are considered equivalent to the results from any other year. This is because the results each year are subject to a process of national standardisation through the marking processes undertaken by the State Examinations Commission. This year, the national standardisation process combines the school-sourced data and certain historical data to ensure the Calculated Grades reflect standards that are properly aligned across schools and with a national standard.
The standardisation process used a range of data sets, including:
- The estimated percentage marks and class ranking of students supplied by schools to the Calculated Grades Executive Office
- Junior Cycle Exam performance of the class of 2020 in each school, to be used at a group level rather than an individual level
- Historical national Leaving Certificate results data for 2017, 2018 and 2019 with student-level linkages to the corresponding Junior Certificate results data of those student cohorts and
- Historical national distribution of student results on a subject-by-subject basis
On 1 September, I announced details in relation to the Calculated Grades model following approval of proposals made to Government. The change proposed removed the use of school-by-school historical data in the standardisation model. I was conscious that the use of such data had been criticised in public commentary about calculated grades and that it had led in other jurisdictions to accusations that students attending disadvantaged schools in those jurisdictions were at risk of being treated unfairly. The change made placed a greater emphasis on the estimated marks provided by schools to individual students.
Technical details of the Calculated Grades model and standardisation process were published on the date of issue of the Calculated Grades results are available on www.gov.ie/leavingcertificate.
On 3 October, It was announced that a comprehensive independent review of the design and implementation of the Calculated Grades process would take place when the process is complete.
The independent comprehensive review will consider key aspects of the system of Calculated Grades. This will include: the initial decision to adopt the calculated grades model; whether the process met its objectives; how effective the process was; how that process worked in terms of design and implementation; and how effective were the governance and oversight procedures. The review will also include what lessons can be learned for the future.
The full scope of the review will be clearly set out in advance. It would not be appropriate to commit at this time as to what will and will not be published following the review.
School Transport
Questions (709)
Michael Ring
Question:709. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education if school transport will be provided to a pupil (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32367/20]
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 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest Post Primary School/Education Centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application and payment process on time have been accommodated on school transport services for the 2020/21 school year where such services are in operation. The closing date for payment for the 2020/2021 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020.
Bus Éireann has confirmed that the child to whom the Deputy refers is attending his nearest post primary school and is therefore eligible for school transport under the terms of the scheme. Bus Éireann has also confirmed that payment for school transport for the 2020/2021 school year was received from the family in question on 7th September 2020 and as such is late.
Late applicants and/or families who pay late are not guaranteed a seat and will only be allocated a seat if capacity is available once seats are allocated to those families who applied and paid on time for transport services for the 2020/2021 school year. In addition, payments or submission of medical card details for Post-Primary seats completed or made after 4th August 2020 will be only considered when 50% capacity, required by new Covid-19 public health guidelines, is achieved on each route.
The local Bus Eireann School Transport office is currently liaising with the contractor to see if the pupil to whom the Deputy refers, can be accommodated on a school transport service.
In the event of not securing a ticket where no capacity exists, or on cancellation, a full refund will be issued.
School Funding
Questions (710)
Eoin Ó Broin
Question:710. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education the reason a school (details supplied) in Dublin 22 has been refused an extension in funding for an administrative deputy principal; and if the decision will be reviewed with a view to granting this much needed resource. [32368/20]
View answerWritten answers
There are published criteria in place for determining the staffing level of a school and these are outlined in circulars issued by my Department from time to time.
Special schools may appoint an Administrative Deputy Principal on the basis of a teaching staff complement of Principal + 15 or more class teachers, as set out in Department Circular 0032/2019.
The school referred to does not meet the criteria required for the appointment of an administrative deputy principal post for the 2020/2021 school year.
School Funding
Questions (711)
Louise O'Reilly
Question:711. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education when funding will be released to a school (details supplied) for the construction of a physical education or PE hall for which planning permission has already been granted; and when it is expected it will be completed by. [32377/20]
View answerWritten answers
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 received the proposed project brief, which includes mainstream teaching accommodation, but does not include a new General Purpose Hall, as this does not fall under the remit of the ASA scheme. The capital project is currently devolved to the school authority for delivery.
As the Deputy is aware, the immediate priority of my Department is providing 20,000 new and replacement school places each year, to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place.
Under the National Development Plan (NDP), increased funding has been provided for the school sector capital investment programme. This funding allows for a continued focus on the provision of new permanent school places to keep pace with demographic demand and also provides for an additional focus on the refurbishment of existing school buildings, to include the building and modernisation of PE facilities in post-primary schools.
Under Project Ireland 2040, we will invest €8.4 billion in primary and post primary school buildings. The government is committed to a PE Hall build and modernisation programme, starting in the second half of the Project Ireland 2040 period
Therefore, the school's application for funding for a General Purpose Hall cannot be considered at this time.
State Examinations
Questions (712)
Catherine Murphy
Question:712. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education if, in view of the calculated grades process and the Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations, RACE, students that for the predicted grades purposes required the use of a reader or scriber, it did not allow consideration for other RACE student's needs, she will clarify whether in the context of the November 2020 written exam, they will receive any award of full marks. [32390/20]
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 system of calculated grades is underpinned by key principles of objectivity, equity and fairness. The process has been designed to arrive at fair representations of student performance which does not favour any type of student or school.
Circular 0037/2020, 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.
In line with the guidance, teachers were asked to use their professional judgement to arrive at an estimated mark 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 same guidance also advised schools that where any reasonable accommodation had been approved for any student, (such as a reader, scribe or waiver), the estimate of the student’s likely performance was to be based on the assumption that this accommodation would have been available had the examinations been conducted in the normal way.
Since accommodations are intended to reflect students’ normal way of working in class, this would not have required any special intervention beyond the teacher’s existing understanding of how the student gets on with the relevant supports in place.
Therefore, a student’s access to any reasonable accommodation is also reflected in the final Calculated Grade awarded to the students.
In the context of the November examinations, if candidates were approved reasonable accommodation(s) for the June examinations, they will have access to this resource in November.
State Examinations
Questions (713)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:713. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if she will address the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32438/20]
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. 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 standardisation process.
These adjustments resulted in the school estimates of subject percentage marks staying the same or being revised upwards or downwards. The standardisation process operated on the premise that the school estimates should only be adjusted through the standardisation process where there was credible statistical evidence to justify changing them.
A standardising process happens every year and would have happened in 2020 had the Leaving Certificate examinations been run as normal. In the system of calculated grades, the standardisation process applied uniformly across all subject and levels and school types. The degree to which mark changes occurred related to the degree of over or underestimation in the school estimates for each subject and each level. This means that some students experienced mark changes from the school estimates but no changes to the grades based on the school estimates; while others will have experienced marks changes from the teacher estimates leading to grade changes in one or more of their subjects.
Following standardisation, the estimated percentage mark was converted to a calculated mark and subsequently, a calculated grade which was provided to students on 7 September. It is only at this point that students were awarded a grade.
Therefore, it is not accurate to state that student(s) were downgraded, or upgraded, through the standardisation process. Rather the grade that was awarded following the standardisation process is the grade for the 2020 Leaving Certificate (Calculated Grades).
The overall data on school estimated marks showed that there was a very significant rise in estimated grades against what would normally be achieved nationally. This level of grade increase based on the school estimates would have been unrealistic. For example, based on the school data, there would have been 13.8% H1 grades this year when in a normal year it is approximately 5.8%. Even with the standardisation process the rate of H1s this year is over 9%.
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.
Following the conclusion of the appeals processes, students who consider that their case has not been processed correctly can make a complaint to the Ombudsman or, in the case of students under 18 years of age, the Ombudsman for Children.
School Completion Programme
Questions (714)
Niall Collins
Question:714. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education when it is planned to move the school completion programme across to her Department; the timeline for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32456/20]
View answerWritten answers
On 27 June the Taoiseach announced that educational welfare functions and school completion services will be returned to my Department. TUSLA Education Support Service (TESS) and the Alternative Education Assessment and Registration service (AEARS) operate these functions while under the remit of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
The current discussions are focused on the transfer of relevant policy and legislative functions and funding, including the School Completion Programme. This means that funding and policy for those functions operated by Tusla Education Support Service and the Alternative Education Assessment and Registration service, including the School Completion programme will come under my remit.
It is envisaged that the transfer will be completed in the coming months. Discussions are underway between my Department and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth in this regard.
Schools Designation
Questions (715)
Paul McAuliffe
Question:715. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education her plans to expand and prioritise the transfer of viable schools to community national schools, as outlined in the programme for Government. [32477/20]
View answerWritten answers
The Programme for Government commits to expanding and prioritising the transfer of viable schools to Community National Schools, along with achieving a target of at least 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030 to improve parental choice and to working with communities to ensure the provision of clear, non-partisan information in this regard.
The Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity process supporting transfers of schools to multi-denominational patrons in response to the wishes of local families is based around principles of transparency and cooperation. The process has been developed in order to accelerate the delivery of multi-/non-denominational schools across the country. This Reconfiguration process involves the transfer of existing live schools as opposed to the amalgamation and/or closure model of the patronage divesting process.
The initial Identification phase of the process involved each of the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETB) identifying an initial pilot area within their functional area where they considered there may be unmet oncoming demand for a multi-/non-denominational school and arranging for surveys of parents of pre-school children in these areas.
My Department officials have been engaging with representatives of the Irish Episcopal Conference with a view to developing an agreed approach to the next Phase of the process. The identification phase work provides useful learning and is informing the development of the process.
The “Early Movers” provision of the Schools Reconfiguration Process enables school communities which have already decided to seek a transfer of patronage (independent of the survey process envisaged as part of the Reconfiguration process) to engage with their school patron on the matter. A patron may transfer patronage under section 8 of the Education Act 1998. A number of patronage changes have taken place in recent years in this context, resulting in the provision of an additional 11 Community National Schools.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Questions (716)
Paul McAuliffe
Question:716. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education the number of schools that have closed again since schools reopened due to Covid-19 clusters; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32478/20]
View answerWritten answers
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.
As of 29 October a total of 611 education facilities (primary, post primary and special education facilities) have undergone mass testing following Public Health Risk Assessment.
The positivity rate of close contacts testing in educational facilities including primary, post-primary and special educational needs facilities as of 29/10/20 is 2.6% with 15,774 close contacts tested. This low positivity rate has led to a very small number of schools closing for periods of a short duration.
It is the view of Public Health that the evidence available to date shows that schools are proving to be safe spaces for children and for the staff. Schools are working hard to implement the public health advice which is proving to be effective in keeping transmission levels in schools so low.
Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
Questions (717)
Richard Bruton
Question:717. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if consideration will be given to schools that are scheduled to lose teachers on the new enrolment numbers in order that they could have the continuity necessary to manage the Covid-19 difficulties. [32493/20]
View answerWritten answers
The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources (teachers) provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally, irrespective of location. For the current school year, it operates on a general average of 26 pupils to every 1 teacher (26:1) which is historically the lowest ever allocation ratio at primary level. In DEIS schools, the staffing schedule operates at a more preferential allocation ratio.
This year the Department and the Primary Appeals Board are very cognisant of the impact of COVID-19 on schools and in that context has looked carefully at all decisions on the allocation of teaching posts where schools have reduced enrolments to ensure that all decisions are reasonable and all schools are treated fairly.
A blanket freeze on the normal arrangements for allocations for one cohort of schools could disadvantage all other schools of similar size, who may have lost teachers in recent years. It is an important feature of the staffing schedule that all schools are treated equally and fairly.
Each school setting is different in terms of physical layout, available space, student numbers and staffing; schools themselves are best placed to decide on the necessary changes/reconfigurations to maintain physical distancing. The Department has been working closely with those schools who are experiencing particular difficulty in implementing and maintaining physical distancing arrangements in classrooms.
School Completion Programme
Questions (718)
Jennifer Whitmore
Question:718. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education the schools in each county on the schools building programme; the number of schools in each county that have had buildings completed since summer 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32512/20]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to advise the Deputy that 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. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website. The details are outlined by County.
School Accommodation
Questions (719)
Jennifer Whitmore
Question:719. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education the status of the extension planned for a school (details supplied); if a copy of the project management plan for the build is available; when she envisages the extension will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32513/20]
View answerWritten answers
The project for Coláiste Chraobh Abhann has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects.
The NDFA is currently undertaking the second phase of the process of appointment of multi-disciplinary technical advisors (design teams) for these projects. Thereafter, it will ensure that the project progresses to design stage, obtains the necessary statutory planning permission, and moves the project onward to tender and construction in due course.
As the project is at an early stage in the delivery process, it is not possible at this time to give a date for its completion.
Conveyancing for this site acquisition is at an advanced stage. Due to the commercially sensitive nature of site acquisitions generally, it is not possible to comment further at this stage.
The NDFA is engaging directly with the school authority to keep it informed of progress.
The Department approved additional interim accommodation for this school consisting of 2 general classrooms and a science lab in 2019. My Department understands that this accommodation has been installed. It is open to the patron to apply for further interim accommodation should this be required.