Written Answers Nos. 412-436
412. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Defence the details for his Department for outsourcing to consultancies of specifically Covid-19-related work, services or advice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1789/21]
View answerThe table below provides details of external consultants engaged by my Department for Covid-19 related work, services, or advice.
|
Consultancy Firm |
Service Provided |
Cost |
|
Quadra Ltd. |
Completed Covid-19 risk assessments for Department buildings; Provided input to Department's Covid-19 Response Plan; Provided Covid-19 updates for the Department's Safety Statement. |
€11,615 (V.A.T. inclusive) paid to date €1,270.50 (V.A.T. inclusive) due for payment |
413. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education her views on the instruction by the Department to a school (details supplied) to remain open despite a high number of Covid-19 cases associated with the school. [44759/20]
View answerIn the case referred to by the Deputy, where a covid-19 positive case connected with a school arose, public health contacted the school and undertook a public health risk assessment to identify the actions required. The response to confirmed cases or outbreaks of Covid-19 in the school was led and managed by Public Health HSE. Schools are advised to follow the recommendations of the public health specialists in these circumstances.
This practice ensures that no principal or board of management is burdened with the responsibility of making public health decisions in relation to their school. The public health response to schools this term has been enhanced by the HSE through the increased resourcing of existing School Teams in each HSE area. A dedicated phone number 'HSE live Covid-19 Principal school line is provided by the HSE for school principals to ring in circumstances where they need assistance from Public Health in relation to a confirmed case of Covid-19 within their school community.
The Department of Education is available to provide support to schools if they have concerns or are unsure of what course of action to take. My Department engages with schools to provide support when dealing with Covid-19.
It should be noted that to date there the public health evidence shows that schools are safe places and that the risk of Covid-19 has been managed very well within the school environment.
414. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding pay inequality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44940/20]
View answerThe public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. The starting salary for a new entrant teacher in 2012 was €30,702. As a result of the programme of pay restoration, the starting salary of a teacher is now €37,692.
Section 11 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 provides that “the Minister [for Public Expenditure and Reform] shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before the Oireachtas a report on the cost of and a plan in dealing with pay equalisation for new entrants to the public service.” The report laid before the Oireachtas on foot of this provision by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform assesses the cost of a further change which would provide a two scale point adjustment to new entrants recruited since 2011. The total cost of such an adjustment across the public sector is of the order of €200 million, of which Education accounts for approximately €83 million. The report also acknowledges that, during the financial crisis, there were policy changes which affected remuneration in different occupations across the public sector (including education).
The matter of new entrant pay is a cross sectoral issue, not just an issue for the education sector alone. The Government supports the gradual, negotiated repeal of the FEMPI legislation, having due regard to the priority to improve public services and in recognition of the essential role played by public servants. The total year one cost of equalising the pay of new entrant teachers to the pre-2011 arrangements is estimated to be in the region of €59 million per annum in year one (€45 million for full resolution of pay scales and €14 million for re-instatement of the H.Dip allowance). The costs would rise in subsequent years as more new entrants join the system. On 24 September 2018, an agreement was reached between the Government and the public services committee of ICTU in respect of new entrant pay. This agreement is benefitting 18,000 teachers and nearly 5,000 SNAs within the education sector. The deal provides for a series of incremental jumps for new entrants.
On 10 December 2020, draft proposals on a new public service pay agreement were agreed following formal discussions between DPER and the Public Services Committee of ICTU, with consultation and input from the sectors including my Department. These proposals will now be considered in detail by the various unions and their members. There is a specific provision in relation to new entrant teacher pay which allows for the skipping of Point 12 of the pay scale which is a further improvement in pay for new entrant teachers. This measure will resolve in full the remaining salary scale issues pertaining to new entrant teachers. This builds on the series of restorative measures for new entrants have been achieved through the various pay agreements. It shows the benefits that continued engagement and collective bargaining between the Government and the public service unions can bring.
415. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education the alternative arrangements and means of assessment that will be put in place to cater for teacher training students due to undertake their advanced school placement periods scheduled for January 2021. [1439/21]
View answerSchool Placement is a critical part of initial teacher education (ITE). It is first and foremost a space and time where student teachers learn to become teachers. It enables the student teacher to experience teaching and learning in a variety of contexts, and to participate in school life in a way that is structured and supported.
In consultation with my Department and the relevant stakeholders, the Teaching Council published a Guidance Note on School Placement 2020/2021 in August 2020. In the context of Covid-19, this Guidance Note sets out a clear and flexible framework for both Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and schools in relation to the planning and facilitation of school placement for the academic year 2020-2021.
It recognises a variety of sites of practice and learning in which school placement can be completed taking account of the sites of practice that emerged for teaching and learning following the closure of schools due to Covid-19 in March 2020. It also acknowledges that flexibility in terms of modes of assessment of student teachers by HEI tutors is necessary and outlines a range of feasible options that can be considered by HEIs.
In light of the evolving context, my Department and the Teaching Council have had ongoing engagement with stakeholders in respect of the practical implementation of this guidance since its publication in August 2020 and will continue to engage with stakeholders in this regard.
416. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the number of absence reports over 20 days recorded by the Tusla education support service, TESS, in the 2020-21 academic year to date; and if there has been an increase in the number of absence reports over 20 days to TESS compared to this time in 2020 in the 2019-2020 academic year. [1635/21]
View answerTusla Education Support Service has received 1512 referrals up to the end of November 2020 for the academic year 2020/2021. This is an increase of 35% on the same period in the previous academic year.
Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) has a statutory responsibility to intervene when a parent/guardian is failing or neglecting to causing his or her child to attend school. TESS views all school attendance referrals from a child welfare perspective with the intention of finding solutions that will enable and support students to attend, participate and be retained in education. Since Covid-19 first impacted schools in March, 2020 TESS has adopted a child welfare and supportive approach in relation to all children and families where the school attendance of students has been directly impacted by Covid-19.
I can assure the deputy and all parents that TESS will continue to look at all school attendance cases with a compassionate and child welfare centred approach for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic. My desire is to ensure that all students have access to education and TESS is available to work with any student or family in need of support.
417. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if a well-being approach is followed when it comes to school absences and TESS as stated in September 2020; if guidance and support is provided to parents who are stressed and concerned after receiving letters notifying them their child has missed 20 days of schools even when this was due to Covid-19-related issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1636/21]
View answerTusla Education Support Service (TESS) has a statutory responsibility to intervene where a child has not been attending school. TESS views all school attendance referrals from a child welfare perspective with the intention of finding solutions that will enable and support students to attend, participate and be retained in education. Since Covid-19 first impacted schools in March, 2020 TESS has adopted a child welfare and supportive approach in relation to all children and families where the school attendance of students has been directly impacted by Covid-19.
I can assure the Deputy that TESS will continue to look at all school attendance cases with a compassionate and child welfare centred approach for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic. The role of TESS is to ensure that all students have access to education. TESS is available to work with any student or family in need of support.
I am aware that some students have experienced anxiety and concern regarding Covid-19. For this reason, my Department has created 17 additional NEPS psychologist posts for schools as well as 120 whole-time equivalent guidance counsellor positions.
418. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education if she will seek to address a dangerous school bus pick-up point (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44647/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 113,100 children, including over 14,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
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.
Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally. Parents are responsible for ensuring that children are brought safely to and collected safely from Bus Éireann designated pick up and set down points.
Bus Éireann has advised that the pick-up point referred to by the Deputy has been assessed as being suitable as a pick-up point under the School Transport Scheme.
419. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 162 of 12 July 2018, the status of the proposed new school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44666/20]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, a project to provide permanent accommodation for the schools in question is included on my Department's Capital Programme.
The relevant local authority under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the acquisition of a suitable school sites has acquired a site at Cement Road in Drogheda. Architectural design has commenced for these schools. It is anticipated that a planning application will be lodged and the site conveyed to the Minister for Education in 2021.
Due to commercial sensitivities associated with site acquisitions generally I am not in a position to comment further at this time.
420. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Education the status of the payment of a special transport grant for a person (details supplied), which was approved in February 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44667/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the current school year over 113,100 children, including over 14,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
The purpose of the Special Educational Needs Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs. Under the terms of the scheme children are eligible for transport where they have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability and are attending the nearest recognised mainstream school, special class/special school or unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs.
All eligible children are exempt from school transport charges and a Special Transport Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements may be provided in certain circumstances.
The child referred to by the Deputy is eligible for and availed of school transport until January 2020 when Bus Éireann notified the Department that the pupil was no longer availing of the service. In February 2020 the parents wrote to the School Transport Section requesting the Special Transport Grant to bring their child to school. This request was subsequently approved by School Transport Section and the parents are eligible for a grant from February 2020. As no statement of attendance has been received with regard to this pupil, a grant payment has not yet issued, however School Transport Section has contacted the parents directly in order to ensure that a grant can issue.
421. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education the section within her Department a school (details supplied) should contact to request fibre broadband; the process and contact details of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44669/20]
View answerThrough the Schools Broadband Access Programme the Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity to all recognised primary and post primary schools, and some 98% of schools are included in this scheme. The policy of my Department is to offer the best quality connectivity to all schools in line with the technical solution and subject to procurement and regulatory requirements. Broadband capacity can vary due to geographical location and local infrastructure, and thus impact on the service that can be provided. The Department's High Speed Broadband Programme provides all recognised post-primary schools, high speed broadband with a minimum broadband speed of 100mbs with many now on 200 Mbp/s plus connectivity. There are 58 special schools also included in this programme, managed for the Department by HEAnet. Currently, my Department spends some €13m on the provision of internet connectivity to schools annually.
The school referred to by the Deputy is on a high speed 50mb wireless connection since the beginning of this year, which is a dedicated service to the school. If they have not already done so, the school should contact the Schools Broadband Service Desk in the first instance, in order to rule out any issues with the internal infrastructure of the school, that may be impacting their service, be it on a wireless or wired network. The school should record their bandwidth upgrade request with the service desk at this time also. The Broadband service desk is the Department's dedicated broadband service desk which is managed by the Professional Development Service for Teachers - Technology in Education (PDST-TiE). They can be contacted by phoning 1800334466 or by emailing broadbandservicedesk@pdst.ie.
This school is included in the National Broadband Plan Intervention Area Plan for which implementation is now underway, and as announced recently, the provision of high speed connectivity to the almost 700 primary schools in that area is to be accelerated for delivery by the end of 2022. My Department is engaging with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications on the intervention area implementation, including the Schools Broadband Connection Points Programme. When the high speed infrastructure is in place for this school through the NBP, the service will be upgraded to the school through the Schools Broadband Programme.
422. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education if school transport will be provided for a student (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the fact that the student is entitled to school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44674/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 113,100 children, including over 14,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. Under the terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8kms from and are attending their nearest Post Primary School/Education Centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application and payment process on time have been accommodated on school transport services for the 2020/21 school year where such services are in operation. The closing date for payment for the 2020/2021 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020.
Bus Eireann has confirmed that the child to whom the Deputy refers is eligible for School Transport. Medical card details for School Transport for the 2020/2021 school year were received on 7th July 2020. As this is a family account there are two other siblings associated with the account. Payment details for these siblings were submitted on 8th September 2020 and as such were submitted late. In addition Bus Éireann has confirmed that the service was operating at capacity at the time payment was made.
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 Covid19 public health guidelines, is achieved on each route.
423. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education if school transport will be provided to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44675/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 113,100 children, including over 14,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. Under the terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8kms from and are attending their nearest Post Primary School/Education Centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application and payment process on time have been accommodated on school transport services for the 2020/21 school year where such services are in operation. The closing date for payment for the 2020/2021 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020.
Bus Eireann has confirmed, that the child to whom the Deputy refers is eligible for School Transport. The family applied for School Transport on 7th September 2020 and payment was received on 8th September 2020 and as such both the application and payment were submitted 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 Covid19 public health guidelines, is achieved on each route.
424. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education if an application by a school (details supplied) in County Kerry will be taken into consideration. [44685/20]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme, from the school in question. Officials from my Department have recently communicated with the school authority and are awaiting a response, when received the assessment will be finalised and a decision will be conveyed directly to the school authority.
425. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education the status of a school building project for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44730/20]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy moved to its permanent site in September 2020 in suitable interim accommodation.
In relation to the permanent school building project for the school, a tender process is ongoing for the establishment of a new framework of contractors for delivery of a bundle of design and build projects which is expected to be completed in Quarter 1 of 2021. Is is expected that in Quarter 2 of 2021, this school building project will be included in a subsequent bundle of projects to be tendered to the new framework.
Pending delivery of the permanent building project, my Department will continue to address the interim accommodation needs of the school on its permanent site.
426. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Education the status of the construction of a planned large extension to a school (details supplied); and when she expects construction to commence. [44744/20]
View answerI am pleased to inform the Deputy that funding was approved under the Additional Accommodation Scheme 2019 to enable the school in question to build six general classrooms, a three-classroom SEN base, one SET room, one Science Lab with prep area and 1 Tech Graphic/DCG room.
I can confirm that this project recently received my Department's approval to go to planning, and the Department now awaits a post planning (developed design) report from the school for review.
At this early stage, it is not possible to predict when a significant school building project of this nature will go to construction, nor when it will be completed, as progress depends upon many contingent factors that can arise.
427. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if, before taking up a teaching position in Ireland having qualified in another country, it is a requirement to have completed the newly qualified teacher, NQT, year in the country of qualification; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44747/20]
View answerI wish to advise that the Teaching Council has statutory responsibility for registering qualified teachers in addition to establishing procedures for induction processes.
Fully qualified teachers who have qualified outside of the Republic of Ireland are eligible to apply for registration with the Teaching Council. All applications from teachers who qualified abroad are processed in line with the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.
A person deemed to be a fully qualified teacher has completed a recognised teacher education qualification and any required programme of induction/period of post-qualification employment in the country in which they qualified and can provide an official letter from the relevant teacher registration body/Competent Authority or Ministry of Education confirming recognition as a fully qualified teacher in the State/ country.
Due to the exceptional circumstances presented by the Covid-19 emergency, the Teaching Council accepted applications from primary and post-primary teachers, up to 30 October 2020, who had qualified outside of Ireland but who had not completed the required period of induction in the country in which they qualified.
It is recommended that any teacher who wishes to clarify their particular situation should make contact directly with the Teaching Council. Queries to the Council may be sent by email to conditions@teachingcouncil.ie and a teacher should ensure to include their full name and Teaching Council registration number.
428. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if revised guidance will be provided to schools on ventilation over the winter months; if additional funding will be provided to schools for the purchase of air monitoring systems; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44748/20]
View answerPractical steps for the deployment of good ventilation practices was provided to the school system in August in the context of re-opening for September 2020.
On foot of updated HSPC guidance this guidance has recently been reviewed and was circulated to the education partners for their feedback. The updated guidance has now been published.
In terms of good ventilation practices in schools it is important, particularly as we get further into winter that we achieve an appropriate balance between good ventilation and comfort.
The overall approach for schools should be to have windows open as fully as possible when classrooms are not in use (for example during break-times, lunch-times and at the end of each school day) and partially open when classrooms are in use to achieve appropriate air flow.
It is worth noting that windows do not need to be open as wide in windy/colder weather in order to achieve the same level of airflow into the classroom.
As part of managing comfort levels in classrooms, schools should check that their heating systems are set at the recommended manufacturer’s guidance levels to maximise the available heat to the school. In addition, heating should operate for extended periods during colder weather to counteract, as best as possible, the impact of windows being open (partially when classrooms in use and fully when not in use) in order to maintain an appropriate balance between ventilation and comfort levels.
My Department has reviewed the HPSC guidance that consideration be given to installing an indoor air quality monitor in classrooms. The purpose of a monitor in this context is to assist in determining when windows should be opened. It should be noted that an air monitor would not increase the air temperature in a classroom. As reflected in the updated guidance, my Department has concluded that windows are likely to be required to be open at a frequency outlined earlier to ensure appropriate levels of ventilation in the classroom irrespective of whether the opening of windows is prompted through the indoor air quality monitor (re-active approach) or through the pro-active approach outlined in the guidance. This has been agreed with the partners in education. While this matter (and supporting data) will be kept under review, my Department does not consider it necessary for schools to install such monitors in classrooms, where the practical steps outlined in the update guidance are applied. However, it is a matter for individual schools to consider whether they wish to use some of their minor works grant funding for this purpose or alternatively schools may wish to use some of their minor works grant funding for provision of permanent background ventilation, where required.
429. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education when parents will receive payments under the school transport grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44749/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. 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.
In the current school year over 113,100 children, including over 14,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
Special Transport Grants under the terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs are processed throughout the year as and when they are received in the School Transport Section with the majority of grants being paid during the summer months.
With regard to transport arrangements for the Summer Programme 2020, my Department committed to providing grant funding to support families with the cost of transport arrangements for those children who were eligible for school transport and who were approved to participate in the school based Summer Programme.
School Transport Section has commenced processing payment of these grants to families who are eligible and payments will continue to be processed in the coming weeks.
430. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education the number of schools in the country currently experiencing outbreaks of Covid-19. [44760/20]
View answerSchool communities have worked incredibly hard to operate safely under Covid-19. The Government has always been guided by public health advice in relation to what is safe in schools. NPHET remain of the view that schools are low risk environments but recognise there is a need to reduce activity and movement to curb the spread of the virus. Regrettably all schools will remain closed to students from Monday 11 January.
As of 2nd January a total of 1137 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 this date is 2.7 % with 330,643 close contacts tested. This low positivity rate has led in the main to a group of students or a class having to restrict their movements in line with public health advice rather than school closures.
431. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if DEIS status will be allocated to a school (details supplied) in County Longford; if she will consider the strains on resources, the dramatic job restructuring in the area at present and the fact that the student population in the school comprises homes in which 27% are lone parents, 44% are social protection recipients and 37% English as an additional language, EAL; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44762/20]
View answerMy Department is in the final stages of refinement of the new DEIS identification model, based on school enrolment data and the latest data available from Census 2016 using the HP Deprivation Index. A detailed quality analysis of the data has been carried out by members of the DEIS Technical Group which contains representatives of the Department’s Statistics and Social Inclusion Units, the Inspectorate and the Educational Research Centre. The work of this group is at an advanced stage and a consultation process with education stakeholder representatives on the technical aspect and implementation of this model has commenced. It is envisaged that this will then provide the basis for development of a DEIS resource allocation system to match resources to identified need.
I am confident that the culmination of this work will facilitate the ultimate aim of matching resources to identified need and will allow us to target extra resources at those schools most in need. Until this work is complete, it is not intended to extend the DEIS programme to any further schools.
432. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education if her Department or State agencies under the aegis of her Department have awarded contracts to a company (details supplied); if so, the value of such contracts; if the contracts were tendered for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44782/20]
View answerMy Department has not awarded contracts to the named company between 2016 and 2020.
Enquiries have also been made with the bodies under the aegis of my Department and no contracts were awarded by them to the named company between 2016 and 2020.
433. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education when guidance will be issued on the leaving certificate 2021; if she foresees changes from a traditional leaving certificate, given the significant disruption to fifth year students during 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44809/20]
View answerIt remains my firm intention to operate the conventional 2021 Leaving Certificate examinations, with appropriate public health measures in place. This view is shared by the State Examinations Commission (SEC), which has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
Planning for these examinations is underway by the SEC and the Department. It is recognised that a flexible and agile approach is necessary in light of the continuing fast-moving environment linked to Covid-19. This planning work is being assisted by an advisory group of key stakeholders which has recently been reconvened. The advisory group includes representatives of students, parents, teachers, school leadership and management bodies, the SEC, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the Higher Education Authority and the Department of Education, including the National Educational Psychological Service.
The advisory group met on 25 November and on 14 December 2020, with a further meeting planned for later this month. The advisory group will consider all of the various issues arising in relation to the holding of the 2021 examinations, including public health considerations and appropriate contingency measures.
My Department is acutely aware of the disruption caused to students as a result of school closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic which led to the decision not to run the state examinations last summer, and the more recent decision of 7 January 2021 to close schools for up to three weeks from 11 January until 1 February.
From Monday 11 January 2021, all students, including Leaving Certificate students, are engaging in a programme of remote learning with their schools.
The public health restrictions which resulted in the closure of schools in March 2020 highlighted the absolute necessity for schools to be agile in providing for continuity of schooling in the future. As a contingency measure against the possibility of partial or full school closures, my Department has already provided a suite of guidance materials, agreed with the education partners, to enable schools to mediate the curriculum safely for all pupils/students in a Covid-19 context. These are available at www.gov.ie/backtoschool. This documentation has been complemented by Circular 0074/2020 (Communication/Teaching & Learning Platform) which requires all schools to have in place appropriate contingency measures to ensure that they are prepared to continue to support teaching and learning in the event of a partial or full closure of schools arising from Public Health advice.
Last August, I announced a series of changes that would be made to assessment arrangements for both Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate examinations for 2021. This announcement was accompanied by a published document detailing these changes, Assessment Arrangements for Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate Examinations 2021, and forms part of the Roadmap for the Full Return to School. On 21 December 2020, the Department published an updated version of the publication, which includes clarifications in relation to a number of subjects.
These arrangements are designed to take account of the disrupted learning experienced by students during the 2019/20 school year and to factor in for some further possible loss of learning time in the 2020/21 school year as a contingency measure. As the loss of learning through school closures affects students’ engagement with their course of study in different ways, the adjustments put in place play to students’ strengths by leaving intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations, while incorporating additional choice. The adjustments were arrived at through discussions between my Department, the State Examinations Commission (SEC), the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and key stakeholders.
These changes to the national assessment arrangements were made with due regard for the principles of equity, fairness and integrity, as these principles apply to assessment and examinations and refer to student to-student, subject-to-subject, and year-to-year comparisons over time. The changes provide reassurance to students, their parents/guardians, teachers and schools.
In addition to the above the State Examinations Commission also advised schools in December of flexibility being provided for schools and students in the arrangements for the completion and authentication of coursework and that circular is available at www.examinations.ie/misc-doc/BI-EX-12232019.pdf. Further clarifications in this regard, on foot of the most recent school closure, will shortly be issued by the SEC.
The SEC has valuable learning from the experience of running the 2020 November state examinations, notwithstanding that the numbers taking these examinations were significantly lower than the number due to sit examinations in 2021. The measures relating to COVID-19 that were put in place for the November examinations will be considered as part of the planning for examinations in 2021.
Other documents published by my Department to support the return to school include ‘Guidance for Practical Subjects in Post-Primary Schools and Centres for Education’ and ‘Returning to school: Guidance on learning and school programmes for post primary school leaders and teachers’. These documents provide guidance for teachers and schools that is specific to each practical subject area, so that students can be facilitated to actively engage with their learning. All documentation published is available on www.gov.ie/backtoschool.
434. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education the number of capital project contracts final accounts that have exceeded the tender value by more than 20% in each of the years 2010 to 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44812/20]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in the format requested. However, the information is being collated by officials in my Department and will be made available to the Deputy in due course.
435. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education her views on whether a school admissions policy that states a written request should be made to the principal of the school (details supplied) and provides no further information is in compliance with section 62(7)(n) of the Education Act 1998, which requires schools to publish an admission policy that provides details of the school’s arrangements in respect of any student who wants to attend religious instruction or in cases of students under 18 years of age in which it is the wish of the parents of the student. [44825/20]
View answerIn relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Acts, 1998-2018.
On 14th January 2020 a number of sections of the Admission to Schools act were commenced introducing new laws around admission to schools which became operational on 1 February 2020. These provisions including the requirement for schools to set out arrangements for students that do not wish to attend religious instruction, apply to the admission processes for the 2021/2022 school year onwards. Circular 7/2020, (Commencement of Certain Sections of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018) requires each school authority to familiarise themselves with the requirements of the act and to have in place the necessary policy, procedures and practices to ensure compliance with it.
Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools are required to have drafted new admissions policies, which have been approved by the patron, following consultation with staff and parents of children who are attending the school. The newly revised school’s admissions policy is published on the schools website.
The manner in which any school ensures that the right to opt out of religion classes is upheld is a matter for the school concerned. Each individual school must determine the particular arrangements which are most appropriate in its individual circumstances having regard to local issues such as available space, supervision requirements and how the school concerned organises classes etc.
436. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if a child will receive an Irish exemption (details supplied) due to the excessive waiting time for an assessment of need and the changes made to the qualifying criteria during this period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44834/20]
View answerMy Department’s policy is that the granting of an exemption from the study of Irish may only be granted in the exceptional circumstances outlined in Circulars 0052/2019 and 0053/2019 as relevant. It is important to state that the granting of an exemption from the study of Irish should not be a key factor in planning for the provision of special education teaching for a pupil.
The circumstances of this case have been reviewed by my officials and the Principal of the school is being advised that an exemption may be granted in the very specific and particular circumstances of this case. A response has issued to the school.
