Written Answers Nos. 733-751
735. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she and her officials will intervene in cases in which teachers who previously qualified with the HDip are now returning to teaching and being asked to complete Droichead in order to register with the Teaching Council (details supplied). [30949/21]
View answerUnder the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015, the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority and responsibility for the registration of teachers. Section 7 of the Teaching Council Act provides for the Council to establish procedures in relation to the induction of teachers into the teaching profession.
The Council defines a “newly qualified teacher” or “NQT” as a teacher who meets the Council’s requirements in terms of qualifications, but who has not completed the required period of professional practice.
Upon registration with the Teaching Council, post-qualification professional practice is applied as a condition of registration to all primary and post-primary NQTs. Until recent years, the traditional route to fulfil this condition for primary teachers was ‘probation’ and for post primary teachers was ‘post-qualification employment (PQE)’.
The Droichead process replaces these traditional processes of probation and PQE. The Droichead policy was approved and implemented by Council on a phased based in 2016. It has been in its growth phase since 2016 and has been the sole route to induction for all NQTs since September 2020. Droichead is an induction framework which supports the professional learning of NQTs during the induction phase. The Droichead process consists of school-based induction which is underpinned by reflective practice, mentoring and professional conversations and additional professional learning activities.
Since 1 June 2020, the condition of Droichead has been applied as a condition of registration to all primary and post-primary NQTs, regardless of the date of qualification. If, however teachers can provide evidence to show they have previously successfully completed the traditional processes of probation or PQE, the Droichead condition can be removed.
It is important to note that teachers registered with conditions are eligible to receive the fully qualified rate of pay, apply for and be appointed to permanent positions.
Also, to note that Droichead is not a newer version of the previously accredited programme of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) known as the Higher Diploma in Education. These programmes of ITE have been reconceptualised as the currently accredited two-year Professional Masters of Education programmes since 2012.
My Department understands that the Teaching Council are engaging directly with the teacher referred to by the Deputy.
736. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a school (details supplied) will lose all access to green space through planned works; if she has considered another location for the works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30981/21]
View answerIn relation to the schools to which the Deputy refers I can confirm that my Department Officials have been engaging with the relevant school authorities to ensure that the shared space in their interim accommodation location meets the needs of all stakeholders on the site and I can confirm that there will still be sufficient open space for all.
737. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if a precise timeframe for when schools that were categorised as number ten in the order of priority under the summer works scheme can expect final approval and funding for their projects to commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30992/21]
View answerThe Summer Works Scheme that launched in 2019 was a multi-annual scheme and applications are held in the system for consideration under future rounds of the scheme. There are 10 categories in total and to date 3 of those categories have been assessed.
I wish to advise that commensurate with the level of funding available for the SWS in 2021, applications will be assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the governing Circular Letter for the Scheme. This Circular Letter (0027/2019) is available on my Department's website www.education.ie
738. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education the number of workers employed by her Department and in each office or agency under the aegis of her Department that earn less than the living wage of €12.30 per hour; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30995/21]
View answerThe suggested living wage at €12.30 per hour, based on a 37 hour standard net working week, equates to an annual salary of €23,747. 1 member of staff in my Department is currently earning just below this annual salary amount but are on a salary scale that progresses to the suggested living wage and above through incremental progression.
There are no staff currently employed in bodies under the aegis of my Department earning less than the suggested living wage.
739. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education the pathway in education for children with special needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31005/21]
View answerIt is my belief that children with special educational needs should receive their education in placements which are appropriate to their needs alongside their peers wherever possible unless such an approach would be inconsistent with the best interests of the individual child or other children in the school.
This approach is consistent with the provisions of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004.
My Department's policy is therefore to provide for the inclusive education of children with special educational needs in mainstream schools. The majority of children with special needs attend mainstream education with additional supports.
This year, just under 25% of the total Education budget or €2bn will be invested in supporting children with special educational needs. As a result, the numbers of special education teachers, SNAs and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels.
Only where it has been assessed that the child is unable to be supported in mainstream education, are special class placements or special school placements recommended and provided for.
It is therefore not the case that special educational placements are required to support all children with special educational needs, nor is it intended that this should be the case.
My Department will continue to provide for a continuum of provision, which includes special class and special school places for children who have been assessed as needing such placements.
The Department's school building programme is focused on providing the additional school places to ensure that every child, including children with special needs, has a school place. This includes opening new schools and extending existing schools in areas where more school places are needed to meet the growing number of children living in these areas.
Funding is also available to schools to establish special classes within existing accommodation. Schools may apply for capital funding to re-configure existing spaces in their building to accommodate the class or to construct additional accommodation.
The Deputy will also be aware that the NCSE has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide.
The local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise both schools and the parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: www.ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list.
741. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education the reason the leaving certificate results date has been announced as 3 September 2021 and not in August 2021 as per usual (details supplied). [31117/21]
View answerOn 17 February, I confirmed that Leaving Certificate 2021 examinations would proceed, guided by public health advice, and that 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 was taken by government to ensure for every candidate in 2021, 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.
Leaving Certificate results for 2021 are expected to issue directly to candidates through the Candidate Self Service Portal on Friday 3 September.
The written examinations began on 9 June and will run until 17 June in the case of Leaving Certificate Applied and 29 June in the case of Leaving Certificate (established).
Candidates have been provided with the choice of sitting the examinations, opting to receive Accredited Grades or both on a subject by subject basis. This dual process, believed to be unique in the world, was put in place following consultation with stakeholders in response to the disrupted learning experienced by the class of 2021 during the periods of school closures in 2020 and 2021.
In any subject where a candidate sits the examination and opts to receive an Accredited Grade, they will be credited with the better of the two results.
Putting in place both the examinations and a corresponding measure of SEC-Accredited Grades recognises 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 closures.
Notwithstanding the huge effort and collaboration by teachers, school leaders and of course students, in relation to the examinations and Accredited Grades process over the last number of months, the timeframes for finalisation of results are particularly challenging this year. This is in part due to the fact that the SEC has to manage both the examinations and Accredited Grades processes in parallel.
The results issue date this year, 3 September, must take account of both the examinations marking process and the Accredited Grades process operating in parallel and being brought together at the end to issue to candidates. To ensure the accuracy and the integrity of the results being provided to candidates, sufficient time must be allowed not only in the parallel operation of both of these complex processes but also in the integration of the results to ensure that candidates are provided with a set of examinations results that comprises, based on their individual options on a subject by subject basis, examination results, Accredited Grades or the better of the two.
A range of checking and robust quality assurance procedures apply to the resulting and grading processes for the examination results and Accredited Grades focussed on maintaining data integrity and on identifying and reconciling candidate information.
Given the robust quality assurance checks associated with the resulting process and in the integration of both the Accredited Grades and written examinations, It is of vital importance that the processes are given sufficient time to execute to the highest standards.
Candidates’ results will be transferred to the CAO at the earliest opportunity to facilitate the generation of offers to CAO applicants. The CAO have announced that Round 1 offers will be made on 7 September.
For those Leaving Certificate candidates who have applied to pursue their higher education in UK Universities, the UCAS deadline for acceptance of conditional offers is 8 September 2021.
In 2020, along with the UK, countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland and Hungary showed flexibility in working with the Department to accommodate Irish students, when results issued on 7 September 2020.
The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has already been engaged with these countries, as has my own Department and both Departments will continue their work to ensure that the same flexibility will be extended to the 2021 Leaving Certificate candidates.
It is important that candidates who have applied for places in universities and colleges outside of Ireland should engage with the institutions to which they have applied as early as possible to notify them of the results date and to confirm their position.
742. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the changes planned in terms of the new recognition of overseas teaching qualifications. [31126/21]
View answerUnder the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State.
The Teaching Council registers teachers in line with the requirements set out in the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2016 to 2021. The EU Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive (2013/55/EC) seeks to facilitate the free movement of professionals within the EU. In accordance with the Directive, people who are deemed fully qualified as teachers in one EU member state are entitled to have their qualifications recognised in all other member states. This recognition may be granted subject to conditions to ensure that the qualifications are of a comparable standard to those achieved by graduates of accredited programmes in Ireland. The Teaching Council apply this to teachers qualified in other jurisdictions also.
In 2020, the Teaching Council amended its Registration Regulations for a limited timeframe due to the Covid 19 pandemic, to provide for teachers who qualified overseas to complete their post-qualification induction in Ireland, rather than in the country in which their teaching qualification was obtained.
The Teaching Council (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 were signed in to law on May 30th, providing for the Council to extend the 2020 emergency measures related to the registration of teachers in order to manage the ongoing impact of the pandemic, to October 2021.
743. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the struggle to get a school placement for a student (details supplied); and if her Department can guarantee a school placement for them. [31133/21]
View answerEnabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government.
This year, just under 25% of the total Education budget or €2bn will be invested in supporting children with special educational needs. As a result, the numbers of special education teachers, SNAs and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels.
In relation to the particular case raised by the Deputy, I understand that the relevant support services and agencies, including NEPS and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) are aware of the case and are working towards ensuring that the student can be reintegrated into a school placement.
The Deputy will also be aware that the NCSE has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. NCSE continues to be available to provide support to this family.
744. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Education the alterative that has been set up to allow a person (details supplied) to sit all the leaving certificate examinations in 2021 if they have a seizure before or during the exam; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31134/21]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
746. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the annual budget for information technology equipment for both primary and secondary schools; the number of devices purchased from this per annum by category; and the estimated cost of increasing same by 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%, respectively. [31138/21]
View answerFunding to build digital infrastructure, including purchase of devices is provided directly to schools as schools are best placed to determine the most appropriate solution to adopt in terms of supporting the learning needs of their students based on school's own context and circumstances, and in accordance with their Digital Learning Plan.
Decisions regarding the use and deployment of digital technology in schools is a matter for the Board of Management of each school. Schools are advised to consult with members of the school community including parents when planning for the introduction of digital technologies including devices. The cost and other implications must be fully considered by the Boards of Managements before a decision is made. It is important for schools, in conjunction with parents, to retain local autonomy for decisions on the use of digital technology, including tablet devices, laptops, and learning platforms, and how best to manage their integration into classroom practice reflective of their own context and requirements.
While this spirit of partnership is in place in schools the Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill will provide a mechanism for enhanced consultation on such matters in schools. This legislation provides a clear framework that schools will have to apply in their engagement with students and parents. One of the key concepts of the Bill is the need for a school to consult with students and their parents on individual school plans, policies and activities. The Bill completed all stages of the Seanad in late 2019. The Department of Education is currently awaiting an order for Second Stage in the Dáil.
As part of the €210m investment programme underpinning the implementation of the Digital Strategy for Schools, my Department provided €100m in grant funding to recognised primary, special and post-primary schools to address their ICT needs during 2020. This included €50m in respect of the 2020-2021 school year brought forward and issued in December 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. The funding is intended to enable schools to implement their Digital Learning Plan through provision of appropriate infrastructure. This includes Desktop PCs, laptops, tablets or hybrid devices, projectors/flat screens, cloud-based tools and software applications, and learning platforms.
Digital Strategy ICT annual grant funding
|
€ |
|
|
2016/17 |
€30million |
|
2017/18 |
€30million |
|
2018/19* |
€50million |
|
2019/2020 & 2020-2021** |
€100million |
*Includes some €5million application based top up funding to schools
** Funding for the 2020-2021 school year was brought forward to issue in 2020 to support schools to deal with the impact of the pandemic.
Further information on criteria and the funding allocation applying can be found in the ICT Grant Circular 0077/2020, available on the Department's website.
The Professional Development Service for Teachers Technology in Education (PDST-TIE) offers advice and supports to schools on digital learning. Advice sheets are available on digital technology in education, including on the adoption of laptops and tablets in schools.
Primary schools can use the Minor Works Grant for the provision of ICT infrastructure, and general capitation that issues to schools can also be used for that purpose. New schools and school extension projects also receive funding for ICT infrastructure as part of their furniture and equipment funding.
Development of a new Digital Strategy is underway and an extensive consultation process has commenced with an open call for submissions, and questionnaires for practitioners, parents and learners. Further strands of the consultation will include engagement through focus groups. A Consultative Advisory Group has been established comprising key stakeholders representing parents, teachers, students and industry. Future funding measures to support schools in embedding the use of digital technologies in teaching, learning and assessment, including addressing educational disadvantage in the context of access to digital infrastructure, will be considered as part of that process.
747. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of classes at primary school level with 30 pupils or above by county in tabular form. [31139/21]
View answerPlease find below the requested information. The data is for the 2019-20 academic year the most recent year we have data available for. We will update the table as soon as the final enrolment data for 2020-2021 is published, end of June 2021.
The figures are based on mainstream classes in mainstream schools and are collated from the relevant Class Size tables published on the DES website and can be found at the link below:
www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Data-on-Individual-Schools/
|
Academic Year 2019-20 |
No of Classes |
|
Local Authority |
Class Size 30+ |
|
Carlow County Council |
42 |
|
Cavan County Council |
39 |
|
Clare County Council |
86 |
|
Cork City Council |
53 |
|
Cork County Council |
321 |
|
Donegal County Council |
112 |
|
Dublin City Council |
191 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown |
135 |
|
Fingal County Council |
158 |
|
Galway City Council |
28 |
|
Galway County Council |
139 |
|
Kerry County Council |
103 |
|
Kildare County Council |
173 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
66 |
|
Laois County Council |
53 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
28 |
|
Limerick City and County Council |
163 |
|
Longford County Council |
27 |
|
Louth County Council |
95 |
|
Mayo County Council |
77 |
|
Meath County Council |
195 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
54 |
|
Offaly County Council |
49 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
40 |
|
Sligo County Council |
43 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
201 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
108 |
|
Waterford City and County Council |
72 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
77 |
|
Wexford County Council |
114 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
95 |
|
Grand Total |
3137 |
748. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost per annum to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in primary and post-primary schools by one point and five points, respectively. [31140/21]
View answer749. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost per annum to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools to 20:1. [31141/21]
View answer750. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated number of additional classrooms required to facilitate the reduction of the pupil-teacher ratio by one point. [31142/21]
View answer751. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated number of additional classrooms required to facilitate a pupil-teacher ratio of 20:1. [31143/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 748 to 751, inclusive, together.
Teachers are currently allocated to post primary schools at a ratio of 19:1 in the free education system and 23:1 to schools in the fee charging sector. Each 1 point adjustment to the pupil teacher ratio at post primary level is estimated to cost in the region of €56.5m per annum.
At primary level, the annual staffing schedule determines the allocation of teachers to schools. For the current school year, it operates on a general average of 26 pupils to every 1 teacher (26:1). Budget 2021 has implemented a further 1 point reduction for the 2021/22 school year so that primary schools will be allocated teaching posts on an average basis of 1 classroom teacher for every 25 pupils. Lower thresholds apply to DEIS Urban Band 1 schools. In addition, there has been a three point reduction in the retention schedule, which will assist schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts. Each one point adjustment to the primary staffing schedule would cost approximately €14.5m annually.
While each one point adjustment to the primary staffing schedule results in an approximate 300 additional teaching posts, the number of additional classrooms required would be dependent on the existing accommodation arrangements in the schools due to gain a teaching post.
