Written Answers Nos. 486-517
488. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education the amount spent to date by her Department on the construction of a school (details supplied); the cost of the project; when the project will be completed; and if a clerk of works has been appointed for this project. [11881/21]
View answerThe project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department's Design & Build Programme and will provide for a 16-classroom primary school building, including a two-classroom special education needs (SEN) base.
The design also includes a general-purpose hall, support teaching spaces and ancillary accommodation, external junior play areas, secure SEN hard and soft play area and a sensory garden. The proposed project incorporates associated car parking, access road, pedestrian access, bicycle lane, construction of 2 no. external ball courts, landscaping, connection to public services and all associated site works.
There has been no expenditure on construction to date. It is anticipated that the project will proceed to tender in Quarter 2 2021 with construction expected to start in late 2021. The estimated construction period for the project will be approximately 48 weeks. A Clerk of Works will be appointed once the Contractor has been appointed.
489. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Education if she will co-locate a public swimming pool with an existing or new-build school in the area of Newbridge or Kildare town, County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11910/21]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that school sites are reserved for the purpose of primary and post primary school requirements. My Department does not have a role in making provision for public swimming pools.
490. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education the instruction being offered to schools and teachers with regard to the social development of pupils scheduled to return to the school setting over the coming weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11916/21]
View answerPromoting well-being is a fundamental element of the Department’s overall plan to support school communities as we continue to manage the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of my Department is leading on supporting the well-being of schools communities at this time. The response to support the well-being of all within school communities requires a structured, psychosocial response which is compassionate and largely preventative and proactive. A whole-school team approach to planning is recommended in order to ensure that staff, students and parents feel safe and secure. Supporting the well-being of school communities at this time of transition is helped by fostering resilience using five key principles.
- Promoting a sense of safety – so that people feel that they are safe, and that those around them are safe
- Promoting a sense of calm – so that people feel relaxed, composed and grounded (regulated)
- Promoting a sense of belonging and connectedness – so that people experience having meaningful relationships with others who understand and support them
- Promoting a sense of self-efficacy and community-efficacy – so that people believe that they can manage and do what is needed, and so can their school community
- Promoting a sense of hope – so that people believe that things will work out well
NEPS has created a range of resources and support including Well-being Webinars for primary, special, and post-primary schools, Well-being Toolkits for Schools with a range of easily downloadable, user-friendly materials and advice and resources for parents, student and school staff to support their well-being at this time.
Resources are also available for parents and students including the following:
Parents
- A Guide for Parents on supporting children and young people with daily routines while schools are closed
- How to Calm and Support your Child – A Guide for Parents and Guardians
- Managing Stress and Anxiety - A Guide for Parents and Guardians
Students
- Advice for young people while schools are closed
- A Plan for the Day – A template to support daily routines
- Managing Stress and Anxiety – a guide for students
- Panic attacks – a guide for students
These resources can be accessed on the gov.ie website.
491. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education if she is satisfied that every pupil who has applied for a place in second-level schools in east County Cork for September 2021 will be offered a place; if her attention has been drawn to the waiting lists that still exist at the various second-level schools in east County Cork; the action she plans to take to ensure that a place will exist for every applicant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11930/21]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional post-primary school places in a number of school planning areas including East Cork.
Where capacity issues arise it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:
- Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area
- School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area
- Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school there are not available to all pupils
- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area
Until these issues are discussed with the relevant school authorities the true extent of any capacity issue will only become known. Similar to the process adopted in advance of the current academic year, my Department is engaging with patron bodies, including in the area in question, to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming year(s) which may necessitate action.
To assist in the process of providing additional second level places in East Cork for 2021 the following measures have been taken to date:
- The Department has recently agreed to a change in status from single sex to co-educational at Colaiste na Toirbhirte Bandon to cater for increased demographics for 2021 onwards.
- Additional temporary accommodation has been approved for Carrigtwohill Community College for 2021/22 pending provision of their new permanent school.
- Approved an extension to St. Aloysius College, Carrigtwohill to expand the school to cater for 1,000 pupils.
In addition, my Department is currently assessing an application for additional interim accommodation for Pobailscoil na Trionoide Youghal for 2021/22 pending completion of the approved additional accommodation project for this school which is to expand the school to cater for 1,200 pupils.
492. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education if there are grants available for low-income families to purchase technology to assist a child who is at leaving certificate level who suffers with dyslexia to access online education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11932/21]
View answerMy Department provides for a range of supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with dyslexia, in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, they will have access to an appropriate education.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is a separate statutory agency, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for the provision of special educational needs supports to schools. The NCSE operates within the Department's criteria in allocating such support.
All primary and post primary schools have been allocated additional teaching resources to cater for children with special educational needs, including pupils with dyslexia. In September 2017 the Department introduced a new model to support pupils with special educational needs in our schools and all schools received revised special education teacher allocations for the 2019/20 school year.
As part of the €210m investment programme underpinning the implementation of the Digital Strategy for Schools, my Department provided €100m in grant funding to schools to address their ICT needs during 2020. Schools were advised that they can use this funding to support the continuity of teaching and learning should a period of partial or full school closure occur arising from Public Health advice owing to Covid-19 restrictions as is the current situation.
This ICT Grant funding issues to schools, as schools are best placed to identify the requirements of their own student cohort and to meet those requirements. In the context of the current public health crisis this funding can be focussed on assisting schools to address ICT needs including devices, software and other ICT solutions to support the provision of remote learning. This can include the purchase of ICT devices including laptops, which can be shared with students who do not have access to devices, essential learning platforms and other ICT infrastructure to support the provision of remote learning.
This ICT Grant funding issues to schools, as schools are best placed to identify the needs of their learners and to meet those requirements.
The continuity of learning guidance circulated to schools last year advised Principals of the responsibility to ensure that learners receive appropriate support to engage adequately with learning remains with the school in which they are enrolled. Regular and ongoing communication between school and home will be essential to support engagement with learning and continuous connection with classmates and school community. Additional supports will be provided for these learners from within the staffing resources of the school. Schools will have discretion to manage and redistribute their support resources in order to best meet the learning needs of their pupils and students.
493. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education her views on giving some arts instructors such as dance teachers educational status to offer them the opportunity to open to the public when restrictions are eased. [11936/21]
View answerThe full re-opening of our schools for all students remains a top priority for Government and my Department is focussing on the safe return of all pupils and students to school on a phased basis beginning in March.
Guidelines on undertaking private activities, and provision for same, outside of recognised schools are not a matter for this Department.
Ireland is currently at Level 5 of the Governments Living with Covid framework, further details in relation to specific sectors are available at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/
495. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if it is planned that leaving certificate results will be issued in time for the 30 August 2021 deadline for UCAS in order to ensure that students with a UK third-level offer will be able to take their place; the efforts being made to ensure applicants to UK courses do not lose out on places as a result of any delays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11957/21]
View answerOn 17 February, I confirmed that Leaving Certificate 2021 examinations will proceed and students will also have the alternative option of applying for grades accredited by the State Examinations Commission (SEC), to be known as SEC-Accredited Grades.
This decision follows intensive engagement with education stakeholders bilaterally and through the Planning for State Examinations 2021 Advisory Group and sub-group.
This decision ensures for every student a method to assess their learning and attainment at the end of their post-primary education and to progress to higher and further education, and the world of work.
Putting in place both the examination and a corresponding measure of SEC-Accredited Grades is essential to ensuring a fair system, having regard to the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic and the loss of learning that has occurred for this group of students due to the interruption of in-person teaching and learning during the periods of school closure.
Under the SEC-Accredited Grades process, students will have the opportunity to opt to receive an SEC-Accredited Grade. They can also opt to sit the Leaving Certificate Examination. Students will opt into these processes on a subject by subject basis. Where students opt for SEC-Accredited Grades and the examinations they will be credited with the better of their results from the two processes, on a subject by subject basis.
Students will receive the combined outcomes of their SEC Accredited Grades and their examinations (if they choose to sit examinations) at the same time. Where, in any subject, a student has also sat the examination, he/she will be credited with the better of the two results.
It is intended that the results of the Leaving Certificate 2021 process will issue to students within the required timeframe for CAO admission to higher and further education. My Department will engage with the Department of Higher and Further Education, Research, Innovation and Science in this regard. It is also intended that the results will also issue within the timeframe currently required by UCAS for entry to higher education in the UK.
496. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the lack of accreditation to students for the SNA national training course being recommended to SNAs and schools by her Department and the concern of SNAs that accreditation should reflect the complexities of some of the responsibilities of the role and the course; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11964/21]
View answerSpecial Needs Assistants (SNAs) play a huge role in helping to ensure the inclusion of pupils with significant care needs in education and in school life. This was acknowledged in the Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme (SNAs) published by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in 2018.
The Review made a number of recommendations regarding SNAs and the need for a more broadly based set of supports including therapeutic supports for pupils with complex needs. The Review also referenced the training needs of SNAs. In this regard, the NCSE recommended that a new national training programme at Level 5 of the National Qualification Framework be developed for existing SNAs who do not have the requisite level of training and for new SNAs on appointment. The NCSE also recommended that training tailored to the specific complex needs of some students being cared for by SNAs would also be provided.
The policy advice has been considered by the Department. It was decided that priority should be given to the development of a training programme for SNAs who may not have had a recent opportunity to access a training programme tailored to their role.
A public procurement competition was held for the development and delivery of a new national training programme for SNAs. A detailed specification of need and learning outcomes was developed and published for the competition. Formal accreditation to the National Qualifications Framework was not a requirement for the programme. Following evaluation of the tenders received, the contract was awarded to University College Dublin (UCD) School of Education, in conjunction with UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems.
UCD has a strong reputation in the world of education and training. It brings with it a wealth of experience and research knowledge in the training and has very strong quality assurance arrangements for its programmes. Feedback from programme participants is a key feature of this quality assurance process.
This new programme aims to enhance the knowledge, skills and expertise of SNAs whose work is central to the inclusion of students with additional care and complex needs in school life.
The programme consists of five modules, delivered online over a 10-month period. Flexibility is a key part of the approach to the delivery of the programme and participation is voluntary.
The programme is fully funded by my Department and delivered at no cost to the SNA.
Completion of the programme may serve as a stepping stone to further education opportunities in the area.
Each participant who completes the programme successfully will receive a certificate from UCD School of Education which may be of assistance in pursuing further education.
Some €2.45m will be allocated to this programme over the next 4 year period based on a full uptake of 3,500 SNAs. The first cohort of 500 SNAs enrolled in January and this phase was oversubscribed.
This is the first national training programme for SNAs employed in our schools and is tailored to their needs. The programme will be evaluated and the outcome will inform the approach to the training of SNAs in the future.
The Department recognises that a more strategic approach is required for the training of SNAs. This would deal with a number of matters including the identification of need and the provision of appropriate training programmes. The issue of programme accreditation will be considered further in this context. I look forward to its development.
I am satisfied that the new training programme for SNAs now in place is of high quality and will help to enhance the experience of children with special needs in our schools.
497. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education her plans to introduce regular Covid-19 testing for teachers and students in all schools across the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11978/21]
View answerThe response to confirmed cases or outbreaks of COVID-19 in the community or in a school is the responsibility of, and will be led and managed by, Public Health HSE. In all instances where COVID-19 is positively confirmed in a school age child in community testing Public Health are immediately notified and a Public Health Risk Assessment is initiated with the school by local HSE public health Schools Teams.
The current position of the HSE is that serial antigen testing is not recommended as a public health measure to keep schools safe. The World Health Organisation does not currently recommend the use of antigen testing in schools. The HSE will continue to use the more accurate PCR tests for testing all index cases and close contacts within the school community and will prioritise the mass swift queue PCR testing which has proven highly effective to date.
This position is being kept under review by the HSE and an expert group is in place examining the use of antigen testing in schools and in other workplaces.
498. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education her plans to extend the requirement for the provision by schools of medical grade masks in the EN14683 category to all teachers in primary and secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11979/21]
View answer506. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if a supply of high-grade masks will be automatically available to all teachers involved in school reopenings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12044/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 498 and 506 together.
My Department has always been guided by public health advice in relation to the infection prevention and control measure appropriate for schools. At present it is a requirement for face coverings to be worn by teachers, staff in schools and students attending post primary school.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has published advice on the use of face coverings in educational settings and is available here. Revised HPSC guidelines for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) published on 7 January 2021 recommended surgical grade masks for all SNAs.
As part of the risk mitigation measures in schools outlined in the ‘Framework Plan for phased return of primary school education’ , my Department has also confirmed that medical grade masks should also be provided for all teachers and SNAs in special schools and special classes and those staff by necessity that need to be in close and continued proximity with pupils with intimate care needs including School Bus Escorts. Schools may access the current PPE framework to procure supplies of medical grade masks.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) keeps infection prevention and control measures, which include the wearing of masks under review on an ongoing basis.
499. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education if she will report on the commitment in action 31 of the national migrant integration strategy to review the effectiveness of training for teachers on managing diversity and tackling racism; the proportion of teachers that have received such training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11991/21]
View answerMy Department provides funding for programmes of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) based on the concept of inclusive education which have been introduced in recent years. The areas of anti-racism, identity-based bullying and cultural awareness are addressed through a suite of supports and the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) provided by Department-funded support services to teachers at Primary and Post-Primary level.
In addition to supports provided for CPD, the Teaching Council carried out a review of the standards for programmes of ITE, Initial Teacher Education: Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers. The review was informed by extensive engagement with the Department of Education, the Higher Education Institutes, relevant stakeholders and commissioned research on school placement.
Following completion of the review of the Criteria and Guidelines, the updated standards document, Céim – Standards for ITE was published by the Teaching Council in November 2020. As part of this review the areas of intercultural, anti-racism and diversity have been referenced. All new programmes submitted to the Teaching Council for accreditation must now be in alignment with Céim. It is anticipated that existing programmes of ITE will be realigned in accordance with Céim with the commencement or the re-accreditation process for all ITE programmes in September 2022.
The Core Elements for all programmes of ITE have been updated in Céim and the definition of Inclusive Education as outlined in the glossary of the revised standards is to include support for the development of student teachers’ ability and to provide for the learning needs of all pupils by utilising, for example, a universal design for learning framework.
The revised standards further defines inclusive education as ‘any aspect of teachers’ learning aimed at improving their capacity to address and respond to the diversity of learners’ needs; to enable their participation in learning; and remove barriers to education through the accommodation and provision of appropriate structures and arrangements to enable each learner to achieve the maximum benefit from his/her attendance at school.’
Furthermore, as part of the Review and Accreditation process, all programmes of initial teacher education will have to provide evidence of how the Core Elements are explored and examined with student teachers during the course of their ITE programme. It is also envisaged that the revised procedures for review and accreditation will include a thematic review, which will focus on specific areas of the curriculum/ ITE programme.
Action 46 in the Action Plan for Education 2019 contained a commitment to evaluate the impacts of CPD for teachers. In January 2019, my Department commissioned a project to develop a research based framework for the evaluation of CPD for teachers and for the piloting of this framework in the area of CPD for teachers for student well-being. The Educational Research Centre is carrying out this 3 year research project and the Department has established a Steering Committee to oversee the research. It is anticipated that the project will be concluded at the end of 2022.
The Well-being Policy Statement and Framework for Practice (2019) acknowledges that schools provide opportunities to develop friendships and to respectfully encounter diversity and access support structures. The policy promotes the provision of a whole-school approach to supporting well-being, an approach that has been found internationally to produce a wide range of educational and social benefits for individual children and young people, including increased inclusion, greater social cohesion, increased social capital and improvements to mental health.
500. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education the most up-to-date demographic information used including figures for projection, population growth of second-level school-age children to analyse the projected need for future secondary schools in the Greystones, Kilcoole and Newtownmountkennedy areas of County Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11994/21]
View answerIn order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
Major new residential developments in a school planning area have the potential to alter demand in that area. In that regard, as part of the demographic exercises, my Department engages with each of the local authorities to obtain the up-to-date information on significant new residential development in each area. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes.
Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
- Provision of a new school or schools.
As the Deputy will be aware, since April 2018, the Government announced plans for the establishment of 47 new schools over the 4 year period 2019 to 2022. This included a new post-primary school for the Kilcoole and Greystones area as a regional solution and the school, Greystones Community College, opened in Greystones for the 2020/2021 school year.
My Department is satisfied that with the establishment of Greystones Community College as a new regional school for the Greystones/Kilcoole area and with the completion of the building projects at St. David’s Secondary School, Greystones and Coláiste Craobh Abhann, Kilcoole that the resulting additional permanent accommodation will be sufficient to cater for future demand in the area in the short to medium term.
The requirement for additional school places is kept under on-going review and work on an updated exercise to assess needs for the coming years, including those which may arise in the Greystones and Kilcoole school planning areas, is at an advanced stage. Additionally, my Department will continue to liaise with Wicklow County Council in respect of its review of the County Development Plan with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across the county.
501. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education if there will be a review of the prohibition on persons over 70 years of age driving school buses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12003/21]
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 scheme, children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 km at post-primary and 3.2 km at primary from and are attending their nearest school/post-primary centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
It is Bus Éireann policy that the normal retirement age for all staff is currently 66 years. Bus Éireann part-time school bus drivers and drivers nominated by private operators as school bus drivers may continue to perform this role, subject to completing an annual medical examination up to the retirement age of 70 years.
This criteria is applied to all drivers who provide services as part of the School transport scheme that is operated by Bus Éireann, on behalf of the Department of Education. As this age limit has been examined previously and the retirement age extended to 70 years, there are no plans to extend this limit further at this point in time.
502. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education the status of a permanent building for a school (details supplied); if a feasibility study has been carried out; if the proposed site is in the ownership of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12004/21]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, a capital project for the provision of a permanent school building for the school in question to cater for a Long Term Projected Enrolment of 1,000 pupils, is being addressed through my Department’s School Building Programme.
A master planning exercise for the state owned site referred to by Deputy is well advanced at this point. The master planning process included engagement with the local authority and the relevant education stakeholders, including the patron body of the school referred to by the Deputy.
It is envisaged that further engagement with the relevant stakeholders will take place, which will enable the completion of the master plan and the progression of the proposed permanent building.
504. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education if she has engaged with UCD on the accreditation of the national training course for special needs assistants that is being held by UCD; the details of the future accreditation of the course; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12022/21]
View answerSpecial Needs Assistants (SNAs) play a huge role in helping to ensure the inclusion of pupils with significant care needs in education and in school life. This was acknowledged in the Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme (SNAs) published by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in 2018.
The Review made a number of recommendations regarding SNAs and the need for a more broadly based set of supports including therapeutic supports for pupils with complex needs. The Review also referenced the training needs of SNAs. In this regard, the NCSE recommended that a new national training programme at Level 5 of the National Qualification Framework be developed for existing SNAs who do not have the requisite level of training and for new SNAs on appointment. The NCSE also recommended that training tailored to the specific complex needs of some students being cared for by SNAs would also be provided.
The policy advice has been considered by the Department. It was decided that priority should be given to the development of a training programme for SNAs who may not have had a recent opportunity to access a training programme tailored to their role.
A public procurement competition was held for the development and delivery of a new national training programme for SNAs. A detailed specification of need and learning outcomes was developed and published for the competition. Formal accreditation to the National Qualifications Framework was not a requirement for the programme. Following evaluation of the tenders received, the contract was awarded to University College Dublin (UCD) School of Education, in conjunction with UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems.
UCD has a strong reputation in the world of education and training. It brings with it a wealth of experience and research knowledge in the training and has very strong quality assurance arrangements for its programmes. Feedback from programme participants is a key feature of this quality assurance process.
This new programme aims to enhance the knowledge, skills and expertise of SNAs whose work is central to the inclusion of students with additional care and complex needs in school life.
The programme consists of five modules, delivered online over a 10-month period. Flexibility is a key part of the approach to the delivery of the programme and participation is voluntary.
The programme is fully funded by my Department and delivered at no cost to the SNA.
Completion of the programme may serve as a stepping stone to further education opportunities in the area.
Each participant who completes the programme successfully will receive a certificate from UCD School of Education which may be of assistance in pursuing further education.
€2.45m will be allocated to this programme over the next 4 year period based on a full uptake of 3,500 SNAs. The first cohort of 500 SNAs enrolled in January and this phase was oversubscribed.
This is the first national training programme for SNAs employed in our schools and is tailored to their needs. The programme will be evaluated and the outcome will inform the approach to the training of SNAs in the future.
The Department recognises that a more strategic approach is required for the training of SNAs. This would deal with a number of matters including the identification of need and the provision of appropriate training programmes. The issue of programme accreditation will be considered further in this context. I look forward to its development.
I am satisfied that the new training programme for SNAs now in place is of high quality and will help to enhance the experience of children with special needs in our schools.
507. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education if a dispensation will be given to schools to allow children with additional needs in mainstream classes to return to school in order that they can reach their developmental milestones. [12046/21]
View answerI know that a phased re-opening of schools is particularly challenging for many children with special educational needs who have not yet returned to school and their families.
The purpose of managing this cautious phased return is to continue to limit the mobility of the population and curb the spread of the virus.
These further phases have been developed in close collaboration with education stakeholders and follow ongoing engagement with the Department of Health and Public Health, HSE.
There will be a period of time between each phase to assess the impact of reopening on aspects of community transmission. It is not possible for other children to return to in-school provision during this period.
The phased return of students to in-school education and the associated target dates are as follows
- Monday 1 March - the first four class groups at primary level – junior and senior infants, first and second class – and final year Leaving Certificate students returned to in-school provision. This phase will also saw a return to full attendance for children in special schools, as well as children in early start preschool classes and early intervention special classes for children with autism or hearing impairment.
- Monday 15 March - the return to in-school provision of the rest of primary school children – third to sixth class, and fifth year Leaving Certificate students. This date will be reviewed during the period following 1 March.
- Monday 12 April - the return to in-school education of the rest of post-primary students following the Easter break – i.e. first to fourth year students.
My Department is anxious to support those pupils/students with SEN who are unable to return to in-school teaching and learning under these phases.
At Primary level in recognition that not all primary pupils with special education needs will be back in school in this phase:
- Schools have been asked to prioritise deployment of their SET resources to facilitate the engagement of those pupils with SEN who are in 3rd to 6th class. This will necessitate further collaboration between the SETs and class teachers to establish current priority learning needs among those pupils.
- The supplementary programme for eligible pupils who are in 3rd to 6th class will be extended by a further two weeks (an additional 10 hours for a total allocation of 30 hours).
At Post Primary level in recognition that not all students with special education needs will be back in school in this phase:
- The supplementary programme for eligible students who have not yet returned to school will be extended by a further two weeks (an additional 10 hours, for a total allocation of 30 hours).
508. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Education the number of schools in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin in temporary accommodation; the length of time each school has been in that accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12050/21]
View answer509. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Education the number of schools in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin operating partially or fully out of prefabs; the length of time each school has been partially or fully in this style of accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12051/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 508 and 509 together.
There are 4 schools renting accommodation, either temporary prefabricated accommodation or an area within an existing permanent building in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin. Of the schools renting permanent buildings one has been renting since 2009 and the other since 2019 and in respect of the rented prefabs one has been renting since 2015 and the other since 2018.
While it is the policy of my Department to ensure a high standard of permanent accommodation for all schools, in the context of a rapidly increasing school population over the last decade or more it is sometimes necessary to make use of temporary accommodation to meet the accommodation needs of schools.
The changing landscape in relation to enrolments means that accommodation requirements can vary between short-term, medium-term and long-term and this can impact on the type of accommodation solution put in place to address same.
My Department is taking an integrated approach with the prefab replacement through the replacement of prefabs as part of all large-scaled projects. In addition since mid-2018 all schools approved for additional accommodation under the Department’s Additional Accommodation Scheme are also having necessary prefabs replaced as part of their additional accommodation project. This integrated approach helps to streamline the delivery of projects for schools
510. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Education the status of the accommodation for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12052/21]
View answerMy Department remains committed to providing permanent accommodation to meet the needs of the school to which the Deputy refers.
As the Deputy is aware, officials in my Department have been actively engaging with officials from Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council via emails, phone calls and through online meeting platforms. As a result, the acquisition of this site has progressed well in recent weeks on the two preferred site options identified.
My officials are keeping the School Patron appraised of developments.
Once my officials achieve agreement in principle on the final site, the Patron will be advised of the location without delay.
511. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education the position regarding the mock leaving certificate examinations in view of the associated public health concerns; if guidance has been issued to schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12057/21]
View answerOn Wednesday 17 February, I confirmed that the written Leaving Certificate 2021 examinations will be held in June, with related components also proceeding as far as possible subject to public health advice. A corresponding process of grades accredited by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) will also be available to students who opt to receive them. I also announced that the Junior Cycle examinations will not be run in 2021. This decision follows intensive engagement with education stakeholders bilaterally and through the Planning for State Examinations 2021 Advisory Group.
A Guide to State Examinations and Accredited Grades for Leaving Certificate 2021 has been published and is available on www.gov.ie/leavingcertificate. This guide has also been communicated to schools. Students and parents are encouraged to read the guide to familiarise themselves with the processes in place for the certificate examinations in 2021.
The Guide provides information regarding mock examinations and advises that mock examinations (i.e. examinations involving full class groups sitting written examinations under conditions that mirror those of the certificate examinations) are neither required nor recommended for use as evidence for the Accredited Grades process. The period following the return to in-school teaching and learning should be used to maximise opportunities for teaching and learning with students.
Following the return to school, the guidance provided states that teachers may set a limited number of additional assessments up to 14 May 2021, though it is important in the period leading up to the determination of estimated percentage marks that over-assessment is avoided. If administering an in-class teacher-designed test, the test should be no more than one lesson in duration (maximum one hour) and a maximum of three class tests may be administered up to 14 May 2021.
512. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she plans to make history a compulsory or optional subject for the junior certificate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12060/21]
View answerThe Framework for Junior Cycle (2015) provides the underpinning for the new Junior Cycle. The Framework gives students the opportunity to develop a wider range of knowledge and skills – to equip them for further learning, for work, for responsible and active citizenship, and for healthy living. The Junior Cycle has been developed and implemented over several years, with the final phase of new subject specifications being introduced to schools from September 2019. The new subject specification for History was developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and introduced from September 2018.
Under the 2015 Framework students were required to study the subjects of English, Irish and Mathematics, with students being enabled to opt for a maximum of seven other optional subjects, or a smaller number if they chose to study some of the new short courses developed by the NCCA. Short courses are designed for 100 hours study over the three years of Junior Cycle, with subjects being designed for a minimum of 200 hours study (with the exceptions of English, Irish and Mathematics which are designed for a minimum of 240 hours study).
In November 2018, my predecessor, former Minister Joe McHugh, asked the NCCA to carry out a review of the optional nature of History under the new Framework for Junior Cycle. The NCCA was also asked to identify how best to promote the study of History in our schools. Minister McHugh received the NCCA's advisory report in July 2019 and subsequently the decision was made to afford History a special core status within the Framework for Junior Cycle. The support of the NCCA was requested in formulating how best this special core status for History could be achieved within the Framework for Junior Cycle.
Minister McHugh announced in February 2020 the arrangements to be put in place in order to facilitate History’s special core status in the Framework for Junior Cycle. Since September 2020, all post-primary schools have been required to offer History as a Junior Cycle subject and all students entering first year are required to study History as part of the curriculum. Students will follow the existing Junior Cycle History specification, which is of a minimum of 200 hours’ duration and will be assessed at a common level. Further details in this regard are set out in Circular Letter 16/2020.
The NCCA is also developing a short course in History for certain students with general learning difficulties/needs. Students in this category will not be required to study the subject ahead of the new short course being made available in September 2021.
513. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education if she will provide further information on the scheduled reopening of schools particularly with regard to supports and advice for high-risk staff and ventilation within school buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12061/21]
View answerThe general principles to apply to the management of COVID-19 includes the safety and welfare of teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) and the minimisation of the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning. The current COVID-19 arrangements in place for teachers and SNAs are outlined in my Department’s Circular Letter 0049/2020.
My Department has an enhanced Occupational Health Service (OHS) in place, to provide employers with occupational health advice in relation to teacher/SNAs’ fitness for work. The current OHS provider has a process in place for school staff with health concerns about their risk of serious illness from contracting COVID-19, through workplace attendance.
A detailed on-line questionnaire is submitted by the teacher/SNA to the OHS, along with detailed medical evidence to provide clarity with respect to the medical complaint(s) in question. All of this information is reviewed by the OHS specialist occupational health physician, including the combined and cumulative risk that can arise when a teacher/SNA suffers from more than one health condition. The risk categorisation is comprehensive and follows the same process that is being applied across other sectors. A teacher/SNA is categorised into one of three COVID-19 risk categories. These are ‘Normal Risk’, High Risk’, and ‘Very High Risk’. The outcome of the risk categorisation is governed by the HSE guidance. My Department is following the same guidance that is in use across the public sector.
Where a teacher/SNA considers the OHS "Covid-19 Health Risk Categorisation report" places him/her in an incorrect risk category, he/she may request review. The teacher/SNA may provide additional medical evidence as part of the review process.
Based on HSE advice, a teacher/SNA categorised by the OHS as ‘Very High Risk’ must not attend the workplace. However he/she remains available for work and the employer should prioritise alternative working arrangements to the maximum extent possible e.g. working from home.
The employer has a responsibility to assess the school environment using the COVID-19 Response Plan for the school, to ensure that all the appropriate HSE recommendations for safe school operations during Covid-19 are being implemented in full.
During the current period of partial re-opening of schools, an employer should temporarily facilitate more flexible working arrangements where a teacher/SNA has been categorised by the OHS as ‘High Risk’. A teacher/SNA who is over 60 years of age should also be temporarily facilitated by these arrangements. This may include re-assignment of a teacher/SNA to other duties within the school or facilitated to work remotely i.e. working from home.
The HSE has recently published guidance for the education sector in respect of pregnant employees. Upon the full re-opening of schools, this HSE guidance will be implemented in the education sector. The Department will provide employers with details of these new arrangements in advance of a full re-opening of schools. In the meantime, during this period of partial re-opening of schools, a pregnant teacher/SNA should consider themselves in the ‘High Risk’ category and she should temporarily continue to work remotely i.e. working from home.
These temporary arrangements for teachers and SNAs are outlined in my Department’s Information Note 0005/2021 for primary teachers, Information Note 0006/2021 for primary SNAs, Information Note 0007/2021 for post primary teachers and Information Note 0008/2021 for post primary SNAs.
Schools have put in place significant mitigation measures to reduce the risk of coronavirus within the school environment. Minor works funding of €160m has been put in place to support these measures. Practical steps for the deployment of good ventilation practices was provided to the school system in the context of re-opening for September 2020. This guidance was reviewed and updated on 30 November.
In summary, the overall approach for schools should be to have windows open as fully as possible when classrooms are not in use (e.g. during break-times or lunch-times (assuming not in use) and also at the end of each school day) and partially open when classrooms are in use. 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. This will assist in managing comfort levels in classrooms. Managing comfort levels will be easier for schools now than during the winter period.
In updating the guidance in November, my Department’s Planning and Building Unit reviewed the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) guidance that consideration be given to installing an indoor air quality monitor in classrooms. The updated guidance sets out that in the main windows are likely to be required to be open at a frequency and level 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 my Department’s guidance and that therefore it is not considered necessary to install such monitors in classrooms. However, the updated guidance indicates that 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, as referenced in the guidance.
This guidance is one of a number of prevention and control measures in place to ensure schools are very safe.
An expert group on ventilation has recently been formed to advise the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) across a range of settings. The work of this group will help guide whether any further update on my Department’s guidance is required.
514. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if her Department is actively examining the creation of additional classes with additional teachers at primary level (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12070/21]
View answerPrimary schools are currently provided with class teachers on the basis of one teacher for every 26 pupils which is at its historically lowest level. Budget 2021 builds on this progress by implementing a further 1 point reduction for the appointment of a teacher in the 2021/22 school year and a three point reduction in the retention schedule. These measures will help to ensure that less pupils are required to recruit or retain a teacher.
The staffing schedule for the 2021/22 school year will be published shortly. It is at this stage that schools will be able to establish their staffing for the coming school year on the basis of enrolments in September 2020. The staffing arrangements also include a staffing appeal mechanism and a developing post application process which allows for schools to be allocated posts on the basis of projected enrolments.
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in a number of school planning areas.
Where capacity issues arise it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:
- Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area
- School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area
- Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school these are not available to all pupils
- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area
Similar to the process adopted in advance of the current academic year, my Department is engaging with patron bodies, to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming year(s) which may necessitate action including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.
515. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the advice or directives that have been issued to primary teachers and schools on the making up of learning gaps and losses for 2021-22 academic year in the next academic year, for example, third class being revised as well as the fourth-class curriculum being taught; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12071/21]
View answerWhen pupils have started back in school, the principal and teachers can assess their needs and adapt their teaching programme so that any gaps in their learning resulting from the temporary closure of schools can be addressed. For the vast majority of pupils, this will ensure progression is as seamless a manner as possible.
Teachers are very well placed to identify and support the emerging learning needs of their pupils through on-going revision and consolidation activities that will support learning for all. They will continue to monitor and reflect on the needs of the pupils in their class and identify pupils who may not have needed additional support in the past, but who require specific short-term or medium-term interventions after periods of sustained school closures / absences in order to continue to make progress.
The Department has not issued guidance to schools in relation to the 2021/2022 school year specifically. However, many of the messages outlined in the existing guidance, Returning to school: Curriculum guidance for primary school leaders and teachers , published in July 2020 for the 2020/21 school year will be relevant to teachers as they prepare for the 2021/2022 school year.
It is important to note, however, that the school closures for this school year have been for a shorter duration, and schools have also used the start of the 2020/21 school year to put contingency plans in place for remote teaching and learning, meaning that they have been able to move to remote teaching and learning with greater ease than during the 2020 school closures.
In Returning to school: Curriculum guidance for primary school leaders and teachers, schools were advised that
- Curriculum considerations for the new school year must take account of the variable learning experiences of pupils during the period of school closure and the practical contexts in which teaching and learning will be taking place in the new school year. It is likely that pupils with special educational needs, pupils at risk of educational disadvantage, pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) and pupils experiencing homelessness or living in direct provision have been the most adversely affected by the lack of classroom contact time. The school community and relevant organisations and agencies need to ensure that those pupils receive the necessary supports in their learning in the 2020/21 school year.
- Teachers continue to provide a broad range of active learning experiences for all pupils. These include play-based learning, inquiry-based learning, talk and discussion, use of digital technologies, and learning in the environment. Care should be taken to avoid the over use of teacher-directed and didactic approaches to teaching and learning in an effort to ‘catch up’ or ‘cover lost ground.’
- Methodologies that support language learning, learning in the outdoor environment, play-based learning, thematic and integrated approaches to learning and collaborative learning are all effective ways of addressing pupils needs
- It will be important to reinforce and consolidate pupils’ learning from their previous class. Teachers might find it useful to work with the curriculum content, objectives and learning outcomes for the previous class level for at least the month of September in order to ensure that pupils are ready to commence new learning. Again, it is worth noting that this message will likely not be as necessary in September 2021 as it is hoped all pupils will return to school in the coming weeks for the remainder of the school year.
- They should prioritise Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE), Physical Education (PE), language and mathematics in the initial weeks of the school year. Many schools will prioritise these subject areas when schools reopen in Term 2 2021, but the need to prioritise these areas will be lessened if schools reopen as planned in the coming weeks.
In summary, schools have received advice on how to address pupil needs since the initial school closure in 2020. Special Education schools returned on the 11th February followed by Special-education classes in mainstream primary schools on 22nd February. As of Monday 1st March junior infants to second class have returned to primary school with the 15th March the target date for the return to in-school provision of the rest of primary school children – third to sixth class. This date will be reviewed during the period following 1 March. As it is envisaged that the school closures for 2020/2021 will not have lasted for as long as the previous school year and schools are more adept at providing for remote teaching and learning, no specific advice for the 2021/2022 school year has yet been published. If there is a need for such advice, this will be issued in due course.
517. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if the shortening of the Easter school break has been considered in the context of the discussions on the return to education. [12083/21]
View answerThe 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. This is important to ensure certainty for the school community about the dates of school holidays.
My Department has provided a suite of guidance materials, agreed with the education partners, to enable schools to facilitate the remote continuity of learning for all pupils/students in a Covid-19 context during this period of school closure. These are available at www.gov.ie/backtoschool.
My Department has developed a plan with the relevant education stakeholders for the phased return to in-school learning for children in primary, post-primary and special schools. From the 1st March the first four classes at primary level – junior and senior infants, first and second class – and final year Leaving Certificate students returned to school. This phase also saw a return to full attendance for children in special schools. Special classes reopened fully on 22 February.
The full re-opening of our schools for all students in line with public health advice remains a top priority for Government and my Department is focussing on the safe return of all remaining cohorts of pupils and students to school at the earliest opportunity in March, with the last group of post primary students set to return to school after the Easter Break.
