Written Answers Nos. 278-292
279. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which larger class sizes and disadvantageous pupil-teacher ratios are evident at primary and second-level throughout north County Kildare; the extent of her proposals to address such issues in the short and medium term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45893/21]
View answerThe average class size for schools in North Kildare is 25.4 based on mainstream pupils in mainstream classes, table attached.
|
Mainstream Pupils |
Mainstream Classes |
Mainstream Class |
|
|
Constituency |
Enrolment per Return 2020/21 |
Count Class 2020/21 |
Average Class Size |
|
Kildare North |
16025 |
632 |
25.4 |
We are currently unable to calculate class size at post primary due to the difficulty of recording discrete class sizes where pupils have different subject choices and subject levels available to them.
The primary pupil-teacher ratio including all pupils/posts in mainstream schools in Kildare North is 17.334.
The post-primary pupil-teacher ratio for the 16 post-primary schools in Kildare North is 13.519.
Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools.
At primary level, the annual staffing schedule determines the allocation of teachers to schools. Budget 2021 implemented a further 1 point reduction for the 2021/22 school year so that primary schools are allocated teaching posts on an average basis of 1 classroom teacher for every 25 pupils which has brought the teacher allocation ratio in all primary schools to the lowest ever seen at primary level. 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. Lower thresholds apply to DEIS Urban Band 1 schools. At post primary level, teachers are currently allocated at a ratio of 19:1 in the free education system and 23:1 to schools in the fee charging sector. Any further improvement will have to be considered in the context of the annual budgetary process.
280. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which adequate provision for early years education remains an integral part of her Department’s objectives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45894/21]
View answerThe Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is responsible for early years education outside the formal education system. However, my Department has a key role in supporting quality within the sector and works closely with the DCEDIY.
My Department's main intervention in the provision of early years education is the Early Start programme and the Rutland Street Project. The Early Start programme was established in 1994, and is a one-year intervention to meet the needs of children aged between 3 years and 5 years who are at risk of not reaching their potential within the school system. It involves an educational programme to enhance overall development, help prevent school failure and offset the effects of social disadvantage. The Early Start programme runs in 40 primary schools in designated areas of urban disadvantage, and has capacity for 1,620 children each year. Early Start units are staffed by teachers and child care workers, and the role of the child care workers is to meet the care needs of all the children in the unit, including those children with special educational needs. The programme opens each year to new child enrolments. The Rutland Street Project was established in 1969 and informed many of the approaches to Early Start. It is supported by the Department of Education and provides 103 places for preschool-aged children including an ASD Early Intervention Unit/Special Class.
Since the inception of Early Start, the early childhood education and care landscape has changed significantly with the introduction of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme in 2010, and the extension of this scheme to a two-year programme in 2018. In the 2019/20 programme year over 105,000 children were supported in the ECCE scheme. The ECCE scheme is under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and officials of my Department and its agencies co-operate closely with that Department, particularly in relation to Síolta and Aistear, the national quality and curriculum frameworks for early childhood education.
My Department also plays a key role in the ongoing development of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) which was launched in June 2016 by the DCEDIY. AIM is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the ECCE scheme. AIM supports are provided through the ECCE scheme. The main supports are grouped into universal or targeted supports. Where universal supports are not enough to meet the needs of an individual child, targeted supports are available to ensure the child can meaningfully participate in pre-school.
My Department has made provision for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) classes for children of pre-school age for whom places aren’t available from providers of the ECCE scheme. These classes are attached to mainstream schools. There are currently 132 of these ASD classes across the country providing targeted supports for 695 pupils. Moreover, where places in those classes are not currently available to pupils my Department provides Home Tuition grants to enable access to pre-school education for those children. In the last school year there were 522 pre-school children being supported by the Home Tuition scheme.
The Department of Education Inspectorate has an oversight role regarding the quality of education provision for children and young people aged from 0 to 18 years. The quality improvement agenda has been further supported by the introduction of education-focused inspections in Early Learning and Care settings delivering the ECCE programme of free preschool since 2015. The first early years education-focused inspection (EYEI) reports were published in June 2016 on the Department of Education website. To date over 2,600 EYEIs have been completed in a diverse range of early years settings nationally. The Inspectorate evaluates the quality of the nature, range and appropriateness of the early educational experiences for children participating in the ECCE programme. In 2019, First Five, a Whole of Government Strategy for Babies Young Children and their Families was published including a range of commitments by my Department to improve the quality of early childhood education provision and practice. This includes the extension of education-focused inspection of all state-funded ELC provision for children from birth. Roll-out of EYEI birth – six inspections will commence in 2022.
281. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which her Department continues to identify and replace deficient or obsolete school accommodation in all areas throughout Ireland with a view to replacement; the extent of any such programme at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45895/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, my Department has a strong and ambitious rollout of projects under the school building programme to support the operation of the school system.
During the NDP period 2018-2020, there were 526 completed building projects under the Large Scale Capital Programme and the Additional School Accommodation Scheme. These projects delivered in excess of 48,000 school places, including permanent accommodation for 229 special classes and additional capacity for 67 classrooms in 14 special schools throughout the country.
The main focus of resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics and for Special Education Needs accommodation. Nevertheless my Department has also been taking an integrated approach to the replacement of prefabricated units as part of large-scale and devolved projects, or as part of new projects approved under the Additional School Accommodation scheme.
While much progress has been made to date, the continued modernisation of school facilities, including the upgrade and refurbishment of existing school stock, will be a priority for my Department under the forthcoming revised NDP to 2030.
283. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which she remains satisfied regarding the adequacy of the number of special needs teachers and SNAs in all primary and second-level schools throughout County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45897/21]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that DES Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools set out the details of the model for allocating special education teachers to schools. DES Circulars 007 and 008 of 2019 set out how the allocations for schools were updated from September 2019.
The Special Education Teacher allocation process provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile. Under the allocation model, schools are provided with a total allocation for special education needs support based on their school profile. The provision of a profiled allocation is designed to give a fairer allocation for each school which recognises that all schools need an allocation for special needs support, but which provides a graduated allocation which takes into account the actual level of need in each school.
Under the allocation model, schools are frontloaded with resources based on each school’s profile to provide supports immediately to those pupils who need it without delay. This reduces the administrative burden on schools as schools no longer have to complete an application process annually and apply for newly enrolled pupils who require resource hours. Children who need support can have that support provided immediately rather than having to obtain a diagnosis.
The total number of SETs has increased by 39% since 2011, from 9,740 at that time, to over 13,600 at present.
Budget 2021 provided for an additional 990 additional Special Needs Assistants (SNA) posts for allocation to schools, bringing the total numbers to 18,000 by the end of December 2021. This allocation of SNAs is to meet the care needs of pupils in 2021 and will enable the establishment of new special classes, creation of new places in special schools, support children in mainstream classes and the transition to the new allocation model for the 2021/22 school year.
The Budget 2021 increase to 18,000 SNAs posts represents an increase of increase of 70% in the number of SNAs provided since 2011 at which point 10,575 SNAs were available.
The NCSE has published statistical information regarding SNA allocations for all schools which can be accessed on the NCSE website at www.ncse.ie or by using the following link ncse.ie/statistics.
I am satisfied that the very significant levels of additional provision we have made in recent years, and for 2021, to provide Special Education Teachers and Special Needs Assistants, means that all schools can be sufficiently resourced to provide for the special educational needs and care needs of children in their schools.
284. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the progress in regard to the provision of a Gaelcholáiste in north County Kildare; the extent to which the project is evolving; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45898/21]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, my Department has given approval to the Patron of the school in question to appoint a consultant to undertake an Options Study of the proposed property to meet the school's permanent accommodation needs. This Study, when available, will be used as a basis for determining the necessary refurbishment works required to the property.
In the interim, my Department has approved funding to the patron to undertake refurbishment works in the property to facilitate the school's access to additional specialist accommodation. The project has been devolved to the patron for delivery.
285. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which accommodation requirements at primary and second-level schools in Kilcock, County Kildare continues to be met; her plans for the future in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45899/21]
View answer286. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which accommodation requirements at primary and second-level schools in Naas, County Kildare continue to be met; her plans for the future in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45900/21]
View answer287. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which accommodation requirements at primary and second-level schools in Clane, County Kildare continue to be met; her plans for the future in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45901/21]
View answer288. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which accommodation requirements at primary and second-level schools in Prosperous, County Kildare continue to be met; her plans for the future in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45902/21]
View answer289. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which accommodation requirements at primary and second-level schools in Leixlip, County Kildare continue to be met; her plans for the future in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45903/21]
View answer290. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which accommodation requirements at primary and second-level schools in Celbridge, County Kildare continue to be met; her plans for the future in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45904/21]
View answer291. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which accommodation requirements at primary and second-level schools in Sallins, County Kildare continue to be met; her plans for the future in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45905/21]
View answer292. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which accommodation requirements at primary and second-level schools in Maynooth, County Kildare continue to be met; her plans for the future in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45906/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 285 to 292, inclusive, together.
My Department has a strong and ambitious rollout of projects under the school building programme to support the operation of the school system particularly in terms of additional capacity requirements.
During the NDP period 2018-2020, there were 526 completed building projects under the Large Scale Capital Programme and the Additional School Accommodation Scheme. These projects delivered in excess of 48,000 school places, including permanent accommodation for 229 special classes and additional capacity for 67 classrooms in 14 special schools throughout the country.
There are also currently some 250 school building projects on site many of which will be completed in 2022.
The main focus of resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics.
While at a national level, enrolment trends indicate that primary enrolments have passed their peak and that post primary enrolments will peak in the 2024/25 academic year, my Department is very much aware that there are variations to this trend at regional and local level. For that reason, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographic Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity in order to anticipate school place demand and identify capacity requirement priorities which will necessitate action. This is important in the context of ensuring alignment with the Government’s Housing for All Plan.
While much progress has been made to date, the continued modernisation of school facilities will be a priority for my Department under the forthcoming revised NDP to 2030. This increased focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock will be further to the continued increase of school capacity to keep pace with demographic demand including provision for Special Education Needs.
The current status of all building projects, including those in County Kildare is available on my Department website www.education.ie and this information will continue to be updated on a regular basis.
