Written Answers Nos. 501-520
502. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the number of CO2 monitors that have been delivered to schools and or will be delivered in time for the new term; the number that have been ordered; the locations from which the monitors have been ordered; the cost of same; the scientific basis on which the number granted to each school are calculated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41569/21]
View answer503. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the systems in place to ensure each school receives the CO2 monitors it needs automatically; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41570/21]
View answer504. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if each school in the State will get a delivery and installation of CO2 monitors sufficient to their need; if not, the reason; the discussions she has had with schools in relation to same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41571/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 502 to 504, inclusive, together.
Managing ventilation is just one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe.
My Department updated its guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools. This was done at the end of May and followed on from work done centrally by an expert group that was looking at the role of ventilation in managing Covid-19.
A copy of the guidance is published at www.gov.ie/en/publication/ad236-guidance-on-ventilation-in-schools/.
The over-arching approach in the guidance is for schools to have windows open as fully as possible when classrooms are not in use (e.g. during break-times or lunch-times and also at the end of each school day) and partially open when classrooms are in use.
The importance of good ventilation is an important aspect of public health advice on managing Covid-19 risks and this led to the establishment of an Expert Group by the Department of Health.
A sub-group of the main Expert Group focussed exclusively on the issue of improving and monitoring ventilation in schools. This report formed the based for the most recent updating of the ventilation guidance for schools and included recommendations in relation to strengthening the message about the importance of good ventilation, the use of CO2 monitors and, where considered necessary, air cleaners.
The use of CO2 monitors can provide a useful general indication that areas/rooms within a building may not be adequately ventilated and can enable occupants to become familiar with the impact that activities, outdoor weather and window openings have on levels of good ventilation within a room. This information can be used to inform strategies for improving ventilation and in that regard my Department has funded the provision of over 35,000 portable CO2 monitors for schools at an estimated overall cost of circa €4 million. The portable units can facilitate measurements in a wide range of locations in schools.
Deliveries of CO2 monitors to schools commenced in the third week of August and are expected to be completed by mid-September. In total, it involves over 35,000 CO2 monitors being distributed to schools in either one or two deliveries over a four-week period.
505. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Education the transition rates from post-primary to higher education in each year since 2011, by DEIS and non-DEIS schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41574/21]
View answerThe transition rates from post-primary to higher education by DEIS/non-DEIS school status are available for years 2015-2018. The data is presented in table below.
|
- |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
|
Transition rates from post-primary to higher education |
64.0% |
64.4% |
63.6% |
63.4% |
|
Transition rates from post-primary to higher education (DEIS pupils only) |
42.1% |
42.1% |
41.8% |
40.5% |
|
Transition rates from post-primary to higher education (non-DEIS pupils only) |
70.0% |
70.4% |
69.1% |
69.4% |
For additional information please see the 1) series of third level projections reports published on DoE Statistics web page: www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/projections/, and 2) the latest Education Indicators report: www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Key-Statistics/education-indicators-for-ireland-2020.pdf.
506. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Education the transition rates from post-primary to further education and training in each year since 2011, by DEIS and non-DEIS schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41575/21]
View answerPlease find attached requested figures for Transition Rates from Post Primary to FET for the years 2015-2019, 2019 being the latest year data is available for.
|
Transitions to Further Education & Training 2015-2019 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
|
Transition rates from post-primary to FET |
26.3% |
27.3% |
26.3% |
25.9% |
24.2% |
|
Transition rates from post-primary to FET (DEIS Schools) |
37.3% |
38.9% |
36.9% |
35.4% |
33.4% |
|
Transition rates from post-primary to FET (non-DEIS Schools) |
23.5% |
24.4% |
23.7% |
23.4% |
21.8% |
Note: The transition rate from post-primary to Further Education and Training, (FET), in a given year is a measure of the percentage of pupils from the previous five academic years who ultimately entered FET in that year.
Data is taken from the most recent Education Indicators for Ireland report, published December 2020, which is available on the Department's website, link below;
www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Key-Statistics/education-indicators-for-ireland-2020.pdf.
Please note that individualised records were not available prior to 2015 so it is not possible to provide transition rates for previous years.
507. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education the current policy regarding the employment of persons with disabilities in her Department and in each State and semi-State body under the aegis of her Department; the disability quota of her Department at present; if there is an active campaign to increase the disability workforce from the current target of 3% to a minimum of 6% by 2024; if this quota has now been exceeded; if so, the details of same; if there has been an advertised competition in relation to the quota; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41590/21]
View answerPart V of the Disability Act 2005 requires that public bodies promote and support the employment of people with disabilities and ensure that 3% of staff employed by them are people with disabilities. The requirement applies to the Department of Education and certain of its aegis bodies.
The Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities for 2015 – 2024, commits the Government to progressively increasing the statutory target for the employment of people with disabilities from 3% to a minimum of 6% in the public sector by 2024.
In 2020, the reported percentage of employees with a disability under the definition of the Disability Act 2005 for the overall Department of Education was 3.58%.
While the assistance of the Public Appointments Service is sought for the majority of recruitments in my Department, my Department is committed to supporting staff members with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodation where required.
509. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there are several pieces of legislation which have not been fully implemented in relation to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities meaning that persons with Down syndrome do not have the necessary mechanisms to access their rights, for example, their right to inclusive education and equality before the law; her plans to ensure Ireland honours its commitments (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41668/21]
View answerI am aware of the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the current legislation which supports the rights of children with disabilities to receive an education.
The Government is committed to helping every child, particularly those with special educational needs, to fulfil their potential.
The Education for Persons with Special Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 sets out the vision for the education of children with disabilities in this country. A child with special educational needs should be educated in an inclusive environment alongside their peers unless the nature and extent of those needs would not be in the best interest of the child concerned or the other children with whom the child is to be educated. For this purpose, my Departments funds a continuum of education provision which covers the full spectrum of need ranging from placement in a mainstream class with supports or a placement in a more specialist setting, a special class or special school. My Department currently spends in excess of €2b in supporting this continuum annually.
I wish to advise the Deputy that a number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 have been commenced.
The commenced provisions include those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those providing for an inclusive approach to the education of children with special educational needs.
The following sections of the EPSEN Act were commenced in 2005.
Section 1 – Interpretation
Section 2 - providing for the inclusive education of children with Special Educational Needs
Section 14 – placing certain duties on schools
Sections 19 to 37 - placing the Council on a statutory footing.
Section 39 - placing certain duties on Health Boards
Sections 40 to 53 - amending the Education Act
Schedule 1 – providing for meetings and membership of the Council
Schedule 2 providing for the Chief Executive Officer of the Council.
The remaining sections of the Act have yet to be commenced. The Sections of the EPSEN Act which have not been implemented are those which would have conferred a statutory entitlement to –
- an educational assessment for all children with special educational needs.
- consequent development of a statutory individual educational plan (IEP).
- the delivery of detailed educational services on foot of this plan.
- an independent appeals process.
The Government has committed to consulting with stakeholders on how best to progress aspects of the EPSEN Act on a non-statutory basis.
It should be noted, however, that since EPSEN was enacted, the Department’s policy on supporting children with special educational needs has changed and evolved on foot of evidence based policy advice from the NCSE which takes account of international perspectives.
Significantly, the focus of special needs education provision has changed from a model that is diagnosis led to one which is driven by the needs of the child. This is a substantially different view to the one underlying the EPSEN Act. The levels of investment by Government in special education has increased to facilitate the underlying reforms required to implement and embed the needs based approach.
I have also indicated that one of my priorities as Minister for Special Education and Inclusion is to carry out a review of the EPSEN Act.
this review will take into account the range of reforms and increased investment in supports which have taken place in recent years including the development of new allocation models which are not based primarily on a response to assessment as policy advice has indicated that requirement of diagnosis can create a risk of children being diagnosed as having a special educational need for resource allocation purposes, rather than for health reasons. Also, that as there is a spectrum of ability and disability within every special education disability category, account must be taken of need, as well as diagnosis.
Policy advice has been requested from the NCSE on the implications of the UNCRPD and this is expected in the coming months.
510. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education the status of a building further to the building of a new school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41669/21]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that a project to provide a new school building for the school in question is included in the Department's school building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan.
The existing school building is not in the Department's ownership and the future use of the property would be a matter for the property owner.
512. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education the reason there is no panel for SNA substitute teachers given that it is the process deemed necessary for mainstream substitute teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41700/21]
View answerThere are no plans to introduce a panel or central database of substitute SNAs to replace SNAs that are off work.
The recruitment and appointment of special needs assistants (SNAs) is a matter for the individual school authority. Department's Circulars 0026/2021 and 0051/2019 sets out the current minimum educational requirements for appointment as a Special Needs Assistant. When advertising for vacancies schools can create an internal panel of suitable applicants from which future vacancies including cover SNA vacancies may be filled valid for the duration of the school year.
513. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education her plans to introduce mental health and resilience modules in secondary education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41720/21]
View answerMy Department has an important role to play in supporting the wellbeing and mental health of our young people. My Department’s Wellbeing Policy and Framework for practice has given recognition to the importance of promoting wellbeing in education. It outlines a comprehensive, whole-school approach to the promotion of wellbeing and positive mental health. It focuses on the whole school community, as well as groups and individual young people with identified needs.
The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of my Department provides a comprehensive, school-based psychological service to all primary and post primary schools through the application of psychological theory and practice to support the wellbeing, academic, social and emotional development of all learners. NEPS also provides training to schools in programmes to reduce anxiety and promote coping and resilience in children and young people.
The curriculum plays an important role in teaching students about managing their wellbeing. All students commencing Junior Cycle from September 2017 onwards undertake the area of learning called Wellbeing. Wellbeing crosses the three years of Junior Cycle and builds on substantial work already taking place in schools in support of students’ wellbeing. When planning a Wellbeing Programme schools should consider the NCCA developed short courses in PE, SPHE, and CSPE.
In Junior Cycle, six indicators–Active, Responsible, Connected, Resilient, Respected and Aware– have been identified as central to students’ wellbeing. Learning in SPHE provides learning opportunities designed to enhance each of these indicators thereby contributing significantly to the school’s Wellbeing programme in Junior Cycle.
In particular the SPHE short course Strand 4: My Mental Health focuses on building positive mental health, examining young people’s experience of mental ill health and learning how to support themselves and others in challenging times. These are the result of widespread consultation with education partners to ensure that the courses address important, relevant and meaningful learning for young people in these subjects. Wellbeing is one of the principles that underpins Junior Cycle education and is reflected in a number of the statements of learning that are central to planning for the student’s experience of and the evaluation of the school's Junior Cycle programme.
514. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the leaving certificate in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41731/21]
View answerI am conscious that students who are due to take their Leaving Certificate examinations in 2022 have experienced a degree of disruption to their learning.
On 30 June, the Advisory Group on Planning for State Examinations received an update in relation to the 2022 Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle examinations. Following this, I announced that adjustments would be made to the 2022 examinations which are similar to those published in December 2020 in respect of Leaving Certificate 2021.
The adjustments are outlined in Assessment Arrangements for Junior and Leaving Certificate 2022, which is available on www.gov.ie/leavingcertificate.
These adjustments will leave intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations, while incorporating additional choice for students in the examinations.
The adjustments provide greater choice for candidates across a wide range of subjects. For example, in Leaving Certificate Biology, candidates in 2022 will be required to answer to answer five out of seven short questions in Section A, whereas previously five out of six such questions had to be answered.
In a smaller number of subjects, e.g. Leaving Certificate Mathematics, Technology and Computer Science, candidates will be required to answer a reduced number of questions on the paper, but no change will be made to the examination duration.
A summary advice note setting out the key curriculum and assessment arrangements for Leaving Certificate Applied Year 1 and Year 2 students in the 2021/22 school year has also been published and is also available on www.gov.ie/leavingcertificate.
The system of Calculated Grades which operated for Leaving Certificate 2020 was intended to be a once-off event in 2020 given the sudden and very challenging position at that time and the impossibility of running examinations in their traditional form safely.
A decision was made by Government in February 2021 to offer a system of Accredited Grades to this year’s Leaving Certificate students. The rationale for this was that, given the levels of disruption to learning experienced by current Leaving Certificate students during two significant and prolonged periods during their Senior Cycle education, it would have been unfair and unjust to require such students to sit traditional Leaving Certificate Examinations without offering an alternative or parallel process.
While schools were closed as a result of Covid-19 from January 2021, a programme of remote learning was provided to all students. Students who were in fifth year were also prioritised for a return to school following the return of sixth year students.
It is hoped that incoming sixth year students will be able to complete a full year of in-school tuition when they return to school at the start of the 2021/22 school year, and will experience no further disruption to their learning as a result of Covid-19.
It was also announced, on 30 June that the State Examinations Commission (SEC) will run an alternative set of Leaving Certificate Examinations in 2022, shortly following the main set of examinations. The SEC will set out the eligibility conditions for these examinations, which will be limited to certain students who are unable to sit the main set of examinations due to close family bereavement, COVID-19 illness during those examinations, and certain other categories of serious illness, to be clearly and strictly delineated. The SEC will issue further details regarding these examinations, with all arrangements guided by prevailing public health advice. There will also be further engagement with stakeholders in this matter.
All schools have an additional allocation of Special Education Teaching (SET) hours that are specifically used to support the identified additional and special educational needs of students. The decisions made by senior management in the use of those hours should be underpinned by the principles laid out in the NEPS Continuum of Support, ensuring that the students with the greatest level of need receive the greatest level of support. Senior leadership have autonomy to use SET hours in response to both identified and emerging needs of students. Following these principles schools can make responsive changes in provision for students with special educational needs that incorporate a variety of teaching approaches including, but not restricted to, for example; co-teaching, time bound small group withdrawal and intensive one to one support.
The Guidance and SEN departments in schools are also best placed to support students and families in applications for reasonable accommodations during state examinations (RACE). The RACE scheme is operated by the State Examinations Commission. More information on these supports are outlined on www.examinations.ie.
517. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if she will address the matter of remuneration of school secretaries (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41824/21]
View answerThe Department is aware of the vitally important role played by school secretaries in the running of our schools.
In recognition of this role, special COVID-19 working arrangements were put in place and the Employee Assistance Service was extended to grant funded staff. The Department also previously fully implemented and funded the 2015 recommendations of an independent arbitrator for a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019 and that a minimum hourly pay rate of €13 be phased in over that period.
Fórsa trade union has tabled a follow-on claim and officials from the Department and school management bodies have been engaging with Fórsa on the issues. A process of engagement has taken place at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and an understanding has been agreed on a pathway to progress the issues with a phased approach being taken to the development of proposals.
The Department is actively seeking to engage with Fórsa in an effort to resolve the issue as part of an ongoing IR process under the auspices of the WRC. Industrial action would impact on the day-to-day operation of schools at a time when so much effort has gone into ensuring they could open and stay open during the pandemic. The Department would appeal to school secretaries and to Fórsa to defer this planned action to allow further early and intensive discussions to take place.
519. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education her plans to regularise pay, conditions and pension entitlements for all school secretaries and to end the situation in which school secretaries have different pay and conditions for carrying out similar work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41837/21]
View answerThe Department is aware of the vitally important role played by school secretaries in the running of our schools.
In recognition of this role, special COVID-19 working arrangements were put in place and the Employee Assistance Service was extended to grant funded staff. The Department also previously fully implemented and funded the 2015 recommendations of an independent arbitrator for a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019 and that a minimum hourly pay rate of €13 be phased in over that period.
Fórsa trade union has tabled a follow-on claim and officials from the Department and school management bodies have been engaging with Fórsa on the issues. A process of engagement has taken place at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and an understanding has been agreed on a pathway to progress the issues with a phased approach being taken to the development of proposals.
The Department is actively seeking to engage with Fórsa in an effort to resolve the issue as part of an ongoing IR process under the auspices of the WRC. Industrial action would impact on the day-to-day operation of schools at a time when so much effort has gone into ensuring they could open and stay open during the pandemic. The Department would appeal to school secretaries and to Fórsa to defer this planned action to allow further early and intensive discussions to take place.
520. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the lack of entitlements for school secretaries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41916/21]
View answerThe Department is aware of the vitally important role played by school secretaries in the running of our schools.
In recognition of this role, special COVID-19 working arrangements were put in place and the Employee Assistance Service was extended to grant funded staff. The Department also previously fully implemented and funded the 2015 recommendations of an independent arbitrator for a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019 and that a minimum hourly pay rate of €13 be phased in over that period.
Fórsa trade union has tabled a follow-on claim and officials from the Department and school management bodies have been engaging with Fórsa on the issues. A process of engagement has taken place at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and an understanding has been agreed on a pathway to progress the issues with a phased approach being taken to the development of proposals.
The Department is actively seeking to engage with Fórsa in an effort to resolve the issue as part of an ongoing IR process under the auspices of the WRC. Industrial action would impact on the day-to-day operation of schools at a time when so much effort has gone into ensuring they could open and stay open during the pandemic. The Department would appeal to school secretaries and to Fórsa to defer this planned action to allow further early and intensive discussions to take place.
