James O'Connor
Question:280. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education the status of her Department’s plans to change the qualify criteria for DEIS status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13594/22]
View answerDepartmental Schemes
Questions (280)
Written answers
I announced yesterday the expansion of the DEIS programme benefitting 347 schools. These schools were identified as having the highest levels of educational disadvantage. In the 2022/23 academic year there will be 1,194 schools in the DEIS Programme - 960 Primary and 234 Post Primary. This will also add a €32million increase in my Department's expenditure on DEIS programme from 2023. This is the largest ever single investment in the programme and will extend additional resources to those schools most in need.
This announcement follows an extensive body of work by the DEIS technical group to develop the refined DEIS identification model to identify the concentrated levels of disadvantage of schools. Schools were identified for inclusion in the programme through the refined DEIS identification model which is an objective, statistics based model which uses information from the Department of Education enrolment databases and the Pobal HP Deprivation index. The DEIS identification model now takes into consideration the significant educational disadvantage experienced by Traveller and Roma learners and by students residing in direct provision or emergency homeless accommodation. Using this approach we can be confident that the largest investment to date in the DEIS programme is being provided to those schools most in need. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme and the model has been applied fairly and equally to all schools.
This announcement achieves the Programme for Government commitment to complete the new DEIS identification model and to extend DEIS status to schools serving the highest numbers of pupils at risk of educational disadvantage.
Schools Building Projects
Questions (281)
James O'Connor
Question:281. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education the position regarding the tender status of schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13595/22]
View answerWritten answers
The Letters of Intent (LOI) issued on 15th February 2022 to the preferred tenderers. This allows the preferred bidders to put in place the Bond, Insurances and confirmations of all legal arrangements required under the Contract.
Following receipt of all the necessary documentation, the Department will be in a position to issue the Letter of Acceptance (LOA), which will allow the contractor to mobilise on site.
It is expected that the LOA will issue very shortly after receipt of all the necessary documentation.
Special Educational Needs
Questions (282)
Sorca Clarke
Question:282. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the current capacity for early intervention classrooms and ASD units in each school in counties Westmeath and Longford in tabular form. [13598/22]
View answerWritten answers
Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.
This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special educational needs. This includes additional teaching and care supports.
As a result, the number of special education teachers, special needs assistants and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with additional needs nationwide.
Over the last two years, my Department and the NCSE have worked closely on a more streamlined and joined up planning process which has ensured a targeted approach to meet demand for special needs placements ahead of each new school year
I am satisfied that this more joined up approach is delivering. Through this intensive intervention, we have seen over 300 special classes, providing 1,800 new places, opened nationwide for the 2021/22 school year.
I also acknowledge that notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are some parts of the country where increases in population and other issues have led to concerns regarding a shortage of school places.
The NCSE has well established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents and seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements.
In terms of Counties Westmeath and Longford, I can confirm that the NCSE is aware of an identified need for additional special classes for students with autism in primary and post-primary schools. Work has been underway with stakeholders for a number of years to meet the demand for places.
We are always grateful to those schools that have responded, and continue to respond positively to meet the educational needs of children in their communities.
At primary level, there is currently a network of 25 special classes, including 6 Early Intervention classes, providing specialist placements for students with autism in County Westmeath. 3 of these classes were newly established for the current school year. There are also 14 special classes at post-primary level in County Westmeath, 4 of which opened in the current school-year.
At primary level in County Longford, there is currently a network of 17 special classes, including 2 Early Intervention classes, providing specialist placements for students with autism. Again, 3 of these classes were newly established for the current school year. There are also 9 special classes at post-primary level in County Longford.
The NCSE is continuing to engage with primary and post-primary schools throughout Counties Westmeath and Longford regarding the establishment of additional special classes for 2022/23 and beyond. There are specific plans in place to open additional special classes and every support will be made available to progress their opening in the shortest possible timeframe with a particular focus on September next.
It is of course open to any school to engage with the NCSE to establish a special class.
I should also clarify that the NCSE does not maintain waiting lists for schools. Boards of management of individual schools are responsible for such enrolment matters.
I want to reassure the Deputy that my Department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.
Parents seeking special class or special school placements for their children are advised to contact NCSE locally so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes. The local SENOs remain available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list .
Information on the list of special schools and schools with special classes, the type and location of these classes is published on the NCSE website and is available at www.ncse.ie
School Transport
Questions (283)
Sorca Clarke
Question:283. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the number of refused applications for school transport by county in 2019, 2020 and 2021 on the basis of the school not being the nearest school in tabular form. [13600/22]
View answerWritten answers
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 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 €289m in 2021.
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.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application process on time have been accommodated on school transport services for the current school year where such services are in operation. In addition, all post-primary pupils who are otherwise eligible for school transport but are attending their second nearest school and who have applied and paid on time have been accommodated on school transport services in the current school year. This arrangement is in place for current school year pending completion of the full review of the School Transport Scheme.
Children who apply for school transport but who are not eligible are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. My Department is liaising with Bus Éireann to collate the information and will provide it to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
School Transport
Questions (284)
Sorca Clarke
Question:284. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education if a child will qualify for school transport in cases in which a child cannot access their nearest school due to a lack of places. [13601/22]
View answerWritten answers
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 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 €289m in 2021.
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.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application and payment process on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who apply for school transport but who are not eligible are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
In cases where the Department is satisfied that the nearest school is full, eligibility for school transport will be determined based on the distance that children reside from their next nearest school having regard to ethos and language. To establish that the nearest school is full parents/guardians must provide certain documentary evidence including that an application for enrolment in the nearest school was made within the deadline dates specified by the school and confirmation from the school authorities that the school was full..
Individual queries may be addressed to School Transport Section of my Department at school_transport@education.gov.ie
Teaching Council of Ireland
Questions (285)
John Paul Phelan
Question:285. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Education when a person (details supplied) will have a response to a query raised with her Department in relation to their entitlement to increments. [13616/22]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department's payroll records indicate the person referenced is not registered with Teaching Council.
In accordance with Circular 0044/2019;
"an unregistered person so appointed will be paid a single rate of pay for unregistered persons who are engaged under the regulations and that rate of pay will be lower that that payable to registered teachers (unqualified rate)".
Accordingly, an unregistered person who engages in substitute teaching is paid at the flat daily rate for unqualified teachers and does not progress on the incremental salary scale which applies to qualified and registered teachers.
School Enrolments
Questions (286)
Réada Cronin
Question:286. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if a third stream will be added to the junior infants intake in a school (details supplied); if not, her Department’s plans to accommodate these children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13628/22]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no current record of receiving an application for additional accommodation from the school in question.
My Department's capital investment programme provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms for existing schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled in primary or post primary schools. It is open to the school authority in question to make an application under my Department's Additional School Accommodation Scheme, information relating to same is available on www.education.ie .
I can confirm to the Deputy, that the school received approval in 2019 to change their current status of boys-only to fully vertical co-educational. The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the Board of Management on behalf of the school patron. My Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters with the exception of new schools established since 2011 to meet demographic demand which are required, in the first instance, to prioritise pupil applications from within the designated school planning area(s) which the school was established to serve.
It is important to note that where enrolment pressures 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 they are not available to all pupils.
- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area.
The Department is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues across a number of school planning areas through ongoing discussions with the relevant school authorities/patrons. The Department has been working closely with representatives of schools in Co Kildare to deliver appropriate solutions to provide any required school places, including the provision of necessary accommodation.
Schools Building Projects
Questions (287)
Fergus O'Dowd
Question:287. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education if her Department will review as a matter of urgency the need to secure amenity space for physical activity during the phased development of a school (details supplied); if her Department will liaise with neighbouring primary schools on the possible renting of gymnasia and pitches for physical activity sessions whilst the school is being built; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13643/22]
View answerWritten answers
The school referred to by the Deputy is in early architectural planning. The permanent project when complete will deliver a 1,000 pupil school with a 4 classroom SEN, 6 Ballcourts plus ancillary accommodation.
The planning applicat`ion for the next phase of interim accommodation for the school was submitted to the Local Authority on 15th December, 2022. Included as part of this phase is a hard play area i.e. basketball court. It is not proposed nor is it included in the planning application for the interim accommodation already submitted to provide any other amenity facilities given the complexities of this site.
Pupil-Teacher Ratio
Questions (288)
Denis Naughten
Question:288. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education the steps which she is taking to address large class sizes in primary schools particularly in Gaelscoileanna which have the highest proportion of such classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13655/22]
View answerWritten answers
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. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location.
The current allocation is on an average ratio of 1 classroom teacher for every 25 pupils. Budget 2022 has implemented a further 1 point reduction for the 2022/23 school year so that primary schools will be allocated teaching posts on an average basis of 1 classroom teacher for every 24 pupils in September 2022. Lower thresholds apply to DEIS Urban Band 1 schools. This Budget measure has brought the teacher allocation ratio in all primary schools to the lowest ever seen at primary level.
The latest figures in relation to pupil teacher ratio shows an improved ratio of teachers to pupils from 16:1 to 14.5:1 at primary level when comparing the 2015/16 school year to the 2020/21 school year. This compares favourably with the OECD pupil teacher ratio which is 1:15. In the same period the staffing schedule improved from 28:1 to 25:1 for this school year.
Average class sizes improved from 24.9 to 23.3 in the same period. The budget announcement will continue the positive trend of improving class sizes for this school year, and statistics on this will be published later in the year.
Special Educational Needs
Questions (289)
Denis Naughten
Question:289. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure that additional supports are provided to Gaelscoileanna for students with special education needs in view of the fact that research shows that children with special education needs can benefit in a bilingual education programme with the appropriate supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13656/22]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to advise that all mainstream schools, regardless of their classification are treated equally and fairly in relation to SEN provision. The Special Education Allocation model was introduced to ensure SET supports are allocated on the basis of the profiled educational needs of schools and SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource. Further informationin relation to these allocations is outlined below.
Special Education Teachers
The Special Education Teaching allocation 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 have been provided with a total allocation for special education needs support based on their school profile.
In order to minimise disruption for schools, due to the Covid pandemic and to provide for continuity of allocations, the Minister for Education and the Minister for Special Education and Inclusion agreed to maintain the existing Special Education Teacher Allocations for schools for the 2021/22 school year, with re profiled allocations now due to be made from September 2022.
Both the Department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) are committed to ensuring that all schools are treated equally and fairly in the manner in which their school profiles have been calculated.
Accordingly, a number of review processes have been put in place to support schools.
A process is in place to address circumstances where the school profile significantly changed following the allocation process e.g. a developing school where the net enrolment numbers significantly increased.
The criteria for qualification for mainstream school developing school posts are set out in the Primary and Post Primary School Staffing Schedule for the 2021/22 school year.
Schools who qualify for additional mainstream developing school posts in accordance with these criteria also qualify for additional Special Education Teaching Allocations to take account of this developing status.
It is also acknowledged that there are some circumstances, which may arise in schools, which fall outside the allocations for developing school status.
These relate to exceptional or emergency circumstances which could not have been anticipated e.g. where the school profile changes very significantly, or where other exceptional circumstances have arisen in a school and which may require a review of schools capacity to provide additional teaching support for all pupils who need it in the school, or of their utilisation of their allocations.
A process is available where schools can seek a review of their allocations by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), including the utilisation of their allocations, in circumstances where a school considers that very exceptional circumstances have arisen subsequent to the development of the profile.
Working is ongoing on the re-profiling for 2022/2023 school year and this will be concluded shortly.
Special Needs Assistants
The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. The Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.
The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their independent living skills.
SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management of the school. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated.
It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
Schools were notified of the arrangements for the allocation of SNA support in respect of students in mainstream classes for the current school year. The arrangements include the following provisions:
- 2019/20 mainstream class SNA allocations were frozen, from the date of issue of Circular 0030/2020, and have automatically rolled over into the current school year. This means that no school will receive an allocation less than that which they have on the date of issue of this Circular and existing SNAs currently in standard SNA posts were allowed to continue in these posts for the current school year in the normal way.
- A diagnosis of a disability, or a psychological or other professional report, is not be necessary for this process.
- The role of the SNA to support the care needs of students in mainstream classes, as set out in Circular 0030/2014, remains unchanged.
It is expected that schools will review and reprioritise the deployment of SNAs within mainstream settings and allocate resources to ensure those with the greatest level of need receive the greatest level of support. Providing access to SNA support continues to be based on primary care needs as outlined in DES Circular 0030/2014.
Schools may apply to the NCSE for additionality where they can demonstrate that the current allocation does not meet additional care needs within the mainstream classes in the school. Applications for additionality arising from significant new or emerging additional care needs, which cannot be catered within existing allocations, are dealt with by way of the exceptional review process.
The exceptional review process for mainstream allocations is available to schools throughout the current school year.
The arrangements for the allocation of SNAs for mainstream classes for the 2022/23 school year are currently under review. An announcement on the matter will be made as soon as possible.