Christopher O'Sullivan
Question:117. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education the main policy achievements and initiatives undertaken by her Department during 2021; and her main priorities for 2022. [62191/21]
View answerWednesday, 15 December 2021
Questions (117)
Written answers
My Department published its Statement of Strategy 2021-2023 earlier this year, setting out the vision, mission and strategic goals that will guide the Department’s work programme in the three-year period 2021-2023. I intend to publish an Action Plan for Education in early 2022 which will outline priorities for the year ahead, and which will elaborate on and develop the strategic actions set out in the Statement of Strategy. The Department's Annual Report for 2021 will also be published and will outline the significant work undertaken during 2021.
Throughout 2021, my Department’s goal has been to continue to support school communities through the COVID-19 pandemic, to enable continuity of education and assessment, and to help alleviate the impact of COVID-19 especially for those students at risk of educational disadvantage.
In recent weeks, we have seen the introduction of a programme of antigen testing in primary schools where there is a confirmed case of Covid-19. I also announced the payment of a minor works grant totalling €45m for primary schools and special schools, and a further €17m for post-primary schools minor works in the context of Covid-19. This will enable them to address both their minor works requirements and also to address ventilation and other Covid-19 related improvements at school level should this be required.
Other significant achievements in 2021 include:
- €50 million funding to primary and post-primary schools to address the digital divide, under Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan
- funding of €57.6 million was provided by way of COVID-19 capitation to schools in September for the implementation of infection prevention and control measures for this term.
- the introduction of a new Covid Learning and Supports Scheme (CLASS) that will mitigate the impact of Covid-19 to students’ learning and wellbeing
- €9.2 billion education funding in Budget 2022, including measures to tackle disadvantage and support children with special educational needs
- launch of guidelines on the use of reduced school days
- the establishment of three new Local Creative Youth Partnerships
- Primary staffing schedule reduced by one point, to a historically low level of 25:1 in 2021. Further investment in new teaching posts will see the general average reduced to 24:1 in 2022.
- The provision of an administrative principal position in any school with 2 or more special classes.
- The provision of a minimum of one day administrative leave per week for teaching principals
- An additional annual allocation to the DEIS programme of €18 million is provided for in Budget 2022. Together with a further one point improvement in the staffing schedule for DEIS Urban Band 1 schools this creates the largest ever education package to tackle educational disadvantage and represents an increase of over 20 per cent in funding for the DEIS programme over the years 2022 and 2023.
- Budget 2022 includes a capital allocation of €20m to schools for the purchase of books, audio books and other media for the purposes of improving their existing literacy resource banks. This funding is additional to that already given for the school books rental scheme.
- launch of a two-year action research project aimed at supporting small rural schools, to encourage small schools to cluster together in local groups and enabling them to collaborate and identify common challenges and trial innovative solutions.
- a new language sampler module for third to sixth class pupils in primary and special schools
- launch of a new arts in education initiative – BLAST 2021
- the 2021 energy retrofit pathfinder programme, where six schools benefit from a selection of energy efficiency works with a €14 million budget.
- The allocation of €792m for 2022, which will see a continued strong rollout of school building projects. A further €52m funding sanctioned under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan will facilitate two projects in the education sector with an overall investment of €63.5m for 2021 and 2022 with €52.3m required in 2021.
- 200 school building projects are currently at construction, most of which are scheduled for completion in 2022. These projects will deliver over 30,000 school places (new and replacement).