Written Answers Nos. 557-575
559. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education when a decision will be made on an appeal made by a person (details supplied) in County Louth against the decision not to provide a school bus ticket; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54552/22]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.
In July 2022, Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the coming school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures.
Ticket registration for the 2022/23 school year closed on 29 July by which time almost 130,000 applications/registrations were received for mainstream school transport. This figure includes 44,299 new applications as well as roll-overs from the previous school year.
Decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Department of Education regarding the provision of school transport services and/or grant-aid under the terms of the School Transport Schemes may be appealed to the School Transport Appeals Board.
When received, the Board will liaise directly with the appellant regarding the appeal date and our subsequent deliberations.
On 30th August 2022, an appeal in respect of this application was lodged with the School Transport Appeals Board. The Board will liaise directly with the appellant when the appeal is due for consideration.
560. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if schools accept and comply with a new direction issued from the NCSE and her Department, concerning children with additional needs (details supplied); if she will provide details regarding the new guidelines which have recently been issued to schools surrounding supporting children with additional educational needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54600/22]
View answerThe Assessment of Need (AON) process is provided for under the Disability Act 2005. Assessment Officers under the remit of the HSE are charged with organising the Assessment of Need. The Assessment Officer makes the determination as to whether or not a child or young person meets the definition of disability contained in the Act and the HSE Assessment Officer coordinates and completes the Assessment Report.
Following on from a court ruling in October 2021 there is now a legal obligation on the education system to assist the HSE as part of the HSE’s Assessment of Need Process (AON).
The Department of Education and NCSE have worked intensively to ensure the process put in place adheres to legal obligations arising from the HSE’s AON process and is one that is rooted in existing good practice in schools. Under the Disability Act (2005) the NCSE is obliged to nominate a person with appropriate expertise to assist in the education assessment process.
Where the child is enrolled in a school the Education of Persons with Special Education Needs Act (EPSEN) 2004 names the principal as the person the NCSE should contact.
It is important to note that the educational component of the AON process refers to assessment of education needs. Assessment in education is an everyday practice in schools which results in the identification of a child’s education need and the measures required to address these needs.
Identification of education needs, therefore, is central to the way schools operate. Schools provide for the inclusion and participation of all students and provide an education which is appropriate to a student’s abilities and needs.
In that regard, it is important to note that schools routinely identify students’ needs. This is embedded in school practice. This aligns with the obligations on schools arising from the Education Act 1998. They use a range of assessment practices as part of the Continuum of Support process. The Continuum of Support framework enables the school to identify, address and review progress in meeting the academic, social and emotional needs of the pupil, as well as physical, sensory, language and communication needs.
Schools have been provided with a range of resources to ensure that the education needs of all students, including those with a disability or other special education needs, are identified and supported. The Department of Education issued Guidelines for Primary and Post Primary schools (2017) as to how they should identify and provide for the special education and learning needs of students.
Information derived from the schools’ assessments in education are recorded in a ‘Student Support File’. In line with best educational practice, the Student Support file details a student’s education needs as identified by the school. The information contained in the Student Support File is used in completing the educational component of the AON form which is returned to the HSE via the NCSE.
The Department of Education and the NCSE are conscious of the workload on schools and on school leaders and, in that regard, an extensive consultation process on the educational component of the AON was undertaken prior to its introduction. This process involved schools, advocacy groups, management bodies and unions. The Department of Education and the NCSE worked with a small number of schools on a draft of the documents required as part of the HSE’s AON process. The schools provided valuable feedback on the form and guidance documents which was used to inform the documents which have been issued to schools.
The Department of Education and the NCSE have put in place a suite of supports to assist schools in completing the educational component of the HSE’s AON process. These include:
- Detailed guidance,
- Short video for use by schools setting how to comply with the process,
- Email support,
- Dedicated support line – this line is staffed by education professionals who will assist schools in completing the process.
I think it is important to note that this remains a HSE process. The information retained in schools on a student’s education needs, are transferred into a Report Form that will be returned to the HSE to feed into the overall AON process. The education system is assisting the HSE on the educational component only, as part of the HSE’s Assessment of Need Process (AON).
On foot of ongoing engagement the Department and NCSE advised stakeholders last week (27th October) that the trialling process which began earlier this year would continue for the educational component of assessment of need (AON) process which is currently taking place at school level. As is the case of any measure required to comply with legal obligations, the Department engaged with the unions, management bodies and a number of schools prior to the introduction of the trial AON process in schools. Engagement occurred in June to inform unions and management bodies of this process and continued with feedback on the trialling process to stakeholders in September. The Department is committed to ongoing engagement on this process.
This trialling is being led by NCSE and supported by the Department’s Inspectorate and the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). The Department and NCSE are satisfied that the information provided as a result of this engagement will meet the requirements as set out in the AON process.
Work will continue with stakeholders to finalise an education focused AON process.
561. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if the new assessment of needs scheme will ensure that children being assessed by SET teachers will have the same supports and resources available regardless of the school which they attend; if SET teachers will be given equal and adequate training in order to conduct an AON in an objective manner; if school support plans are expected to fulfil the legal requirement of a child’s right to assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54609/22]
View answerThe Assessment of Need (AON) process is provided for under the Disability Act 2005. Assessment Officers under the remit of the HSE are charged with organising the Assessment of Need. The Assessment Officer makes the determination as to whether or not a child or young person meets the definition of disability contained in the Act and the HSE Assessment Officer coordinates and completes the Assessment Report.
Following on from a court ruling in October 2021 there is now a legal obligation on the education system to assist the HSE as part of the HSE’s Assessment of Need Process (AON).
The Department of Education and NCSE have worked intensively to ensure the process put in place adheres to legal obligations arising from the HSE’s AON process and is one that is rooted in existing good practice in schools. Under the Disability Act (2005) the NCSE is obliged to nominate a person with appropriate expertise to assist in the education assessment process.
Where the child is enrolled in a school the Education of Persons with Special Education Needs Act (EPSEN) 2004 names the principal as the person the NCSE should contact.
It is important to note that the educational component of the AON process refers to assessment of education needs. Assessment in education is an everyday practice in schools which results in the identification of a child’s education need and the measures required to address these needs.
Identification of education needs, therefore, is central to the way schools operate. Schools provide for the inclusion and participation of all students and provide an education which is appropriate to a student’s abilities and needs.
In that regard, it is important to note that schools routinely identify students’ needs. This is embedded in school practice. This aligns with the obligations on schools arising from the Education Act 1998. They use a range of assessment practices as part of the Continuum of Support process. The Continuum of Support framework enables the school to identify, address and review progress in meeting the academic, social and emotional needs of the pupil, as well as physical, sensory, language and communication needs.
Schools have been provided with a range of resources to ensure that the education needs of all students, including those with a disability or other special education needs, are identified and supported. The Department of Education issued Guidelines for Primary and Post Primary schools (2017) as to how they should identify and provide for the special education and learning needs of students.
Information derived from the schools’ assessments in education are recorded in a ‘Student Support File’. In line with best educational practice, the Student Support file details a student’s education needs as identified by the school. The information contained in the Student Support File is used in completing the educational component of the AON form which is returned to the HSE via the NCSE.
The Department of Education and the NCSE are conscious of the workload on schools and on school leaders and, in that regard, an extensive consultation process on the educational component of the AON was undertaken prior to its introduction. This process involved schools, advocacy groups, management bodies and unions. The Department of Education and the NCSE worked with a small number of schools on a draft of the documents required as part of the HSE’s AON process. The schools provided valuable feedback on the form and guidance documents which was used to inform the documents which have been issued to schools.
The Department of Education and the NCSE have put in place a suite of supports to assist schools in completing the educational component of the HSE’s AON process. These include:
- Detailed guidance,
- Short video for use by schools setting how to comply with the process,
- Email support,
- Dedicated support line – this line is staffed by education professionals who will assist schools in completing the process.
I think it is important to note that this remains a HSE process. The information retained in schools on a student’s education needs, are transferred into a Report Form that will be returned to the HSE to feed into the overall AON process. The education system is assisting the HSE on the educational component only, as part of the HSE’s Assessment of Need Process (AON).
On foot of ongoing engagement the Department and NCSE advised stakeholders last week (27th October) that the trialling process which began earlier this year would continue for the educational component of assessment of need (AON) process which is currently taking place at school level. As is the case of any measure required to comply with legal obligations, the Department engaged with the unions, management bodies and a number of schools prior to the introduction of the trial AON process in schools. Engagement occurred in June to inform unions and management bodies of this process and continued with feedback on the trialling process to stakeholders in September. The Department is committed to ongoing engagement on this process.
This trialling is being led by NCSE and supported by the Department’s Inspectorate and the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). The Department and NCSE are satisfied that the information provided as a result of this engagement will meet the requirements as set out in the AON process.
Work will continue with stakeholders to finalise an education focused AON process. Furthermore, the Special Education Teacher hours provided to schools under the SET allocation model is not impacted by the AON process and each schools allocation remains in place for the 2022/23 school year as advised to schools in April of this year as per circular 0020/2022 (Primary) and 0021/2022 (post primary).
562. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Education the information or circulars that have been provided to schools in relation to voluntary contributions, and the advice that the schools should not request voluntary contributions this year given the cost-of-living difficulties; the additional supports that will be available on request from schools which will not request the voluntary contribution this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54610/22]
View answerSection 64 of the Education (Admissions to schools) Act 2018, which was commenced in 2018 explicitly prohibits the charging of admission and enrolment fees for admission to or for continued enrolment in a school, with some exceptions such as boarding or fee charging schools.
Circular 65/2010 states that voluntary contributions may be sought from parents, provided it is made clear to parents that there is no compulsion to pay. The manner in which such voluntary contributions are sought and collected is a matter for school management, however their collection should be such as not to create a situation where either parents or pupils could reasonably infer that the contributions take on a compulsory character.
All recognised Primary and Post-Primary schools in the Free Education scheme will benefit from additional capitation funding of €90m in 2022 which represents an increase of circa 40% of current standard and enhanced capitation rates.
The additional grant will be paid at the rate of €75 per pupil at Primary level and €113 at Post-Primary level. Enhanced rates will also be paid in respect of pupils with Special Educational needs. Arrangements are being made to issue this payment as soon as possible and schools can use this to cover additional energy costs and other increased day to day operating costs.
In the context of the current cost of living crisis and the additional funding being made available to schools, It is expected that schools will not have to seek additional voluntary contributions from parents.
563. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education if she will expedite an application (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54660/22]
View answerI would like to inform the Deputy that an application for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme was received from the school in question. This application was assessed and approved. As this is a devolved project the responsibility for progressing the works lies with the school authority.
564. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if the bus service that served schools (details supplied) can be reinstated to a two-bus service, with one for each school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54662/22]
View answerSchool 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, individual transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
The purpose of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability.
Routes are planned by Bus Éireann and seats are assigned to pupils based on their location and existing services in the area.
My Department is currently in discussion with the above referenced schools regarding the shared services that cater for these school and will continue to work closely with the schools on the matter.
565. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education if she plans to have teachers carry-out assessment of need plans for children with disabilities rather than the NEPS service; the way in which a school support plan can be viewed as an assessment of educational need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54680/22]
View answerThe Assessment of Need (AON) process is provided for under the Disability Act 2005. Assessment Officers under the remit of the HSE are charged with organising the Assessment of Need. The Assessment Officer makes the determination as to whether or not a child or young person meets the definition of disability contained in the Act and the HSE Assessment Officer coordinates and completes the Assessment Report.
Following on from a court ruling in October 2021 there is now a legal obligation on the education system to assist the HSE as part of the HSE’s Assessment of Need Process (AON).
The Department of Education and NCSE have worked intensively to ensure the process put in place adheres to legal obligations arising from the HSE’s AON process and is one that is rooted in existing good practice in schools. Under the Disability Act (2005) the NCSE is obliged to nominate a person with appropriate expertise to assist in the education assessment process.
Where the child is enrolled in a school the Education of Persons with Special Education Needs Act (EPSEN) 2004 names the principal as the person the NCSE should contact.
It is important to note that the educational component of the AON process refers to assessment of education needs. Assessment in education is an everyday practice in schools which results in the identification of a child’s education need and the measures required to address these needs.
Identification of education needs, therefore, is central to the way schools operate. Schools provide for the inclusion and participation of all students and provide an education which is appropriate to a student’s abilities and needs.
In that regard, it is important to note that schools routinely identify students’ needs. This is embedded in school practice. This aligns with the obligations on schools arising from the Education Act 1998. They use a range of assessment practices as part of the Continuum of Support process. The Continuum of Support framework enables the school to identify, address and review progress in meeting the academic, social and emotional needs of the pupil, as well as physical, sensory, language and communication needs.
Schools have been provided with a range of resources to ensure that the education needs of all students, including those with a disability or other special education needs, are identified and supported. The Department of Education issued Guidelines for Primary and Post Primary schools (2017) as to how they should identify and provide for the special education and learning needs of students.
Information derived from the schools’ assessments in education are recorded in a ‘Student Support File’. In line with best educational practice, the Student Support file details a student’s education needs as identified by the school. The information contained in the Student Support File is used in completing the educational component of the AON form which is returned to the HSE via the NCSE.
The Department of Education and the NCSE are conscious of the workload on schools and on school leaders and, in that regard, an extensive consultation process on the educational component of the AON was undertaken prior to its introduction. This process involved schools, advocacy groups, management bodies and unions. The Department of Education and the NCSE worked with a small number of schools on a draft of the documents required as part of the HSE’s AON process. The schools provided valuable feedback on the form and guidance documents which was used to inform the documents which have been issued to schools.
The Department of Education and the NCSE have put in place a suite of supports to assist schools in completing the educational component of the HSE’s AON process. These include:
- Detailed guidance,
- Short video for use by schools setting how to comply with the process,
- Email support,
- Dedicated support line – this line is staffed by education professionals who will assist schools in completing the process.
I think it is important to note that this remains a HSE process. The information retained in schools on a student’s education needs, are transferred into a Report Form that will be returned to the HSE to feed into the overall AON process. The education system is assisting the HSE on the educational component only, as part of the HSE’s Assessment of Need Process (AON).
On foot of ongoing engagement the Department and NCSE advised stakeholders last week (27th October) that the trialling process which began earlier this year would continue for the educational component of assessment of need (AON) process which is currently taking place at school level. As is the case of any measure required to comply with legal obligations, the Department engaged with the unions, management bodies and a number of schools prior to the introduction of the trial AON process in schools. Engagement occurred in June to inform unions and management bodies of this process and continued with feedback on the trialling process to stakeholders in September. The Department is committed to ongoing engagement on this process.
This trialling is being led by NCSE and supported by the Department’s Inspectorate and the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). The Department and NCSE are satisfied that the information provided as a result of this engagement will meet the requirements as set out in the AON process.
Work will continue with stakeholders to finalise an education focused AON process.
566. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education the status of the new ASD units for schools in Rathangan (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54712/22]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no current record of receiving an application for additional accommodation from the first school listed. It is open to the school authority to make an application for additional accommodation through the 'Additional School Accommodation scheme (ASA)' which is available at www.education.ie.
The second school listed has been approved funding under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to provide 4 x 80m² mainstream classrooms + ensuite toilets and a 2 class SEN base and reconfiguration of library.
My Department is currently awaiting a revised Stage 2A Report addressing all comments raised in the combined stage comments from the Department's Professional & Technical team.
This project has been Devolved to the School Authority for Delivery.
567. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the number of children that were accommodated on the school transport scheme for this academic year; the number that was accommodated last year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54713/22]
View answer585. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the number of primary school children per county who are still awaiting a place on the school transport scheme in tabular form. [55005/22]
View answer586. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the number of secondary school children per county who are still awaiting a place on the school transport scheme in tabular form. [55006/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 567, 585 and 586 together.
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were 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.
In July 2022, Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the coming school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures.
Ticket registration for the 2022/23 school year closed on 29 July by which time almost 130,000 applications/registrations were received for mainstream school transport. This figure includes 44,299 new applications as well as roll-overs from the previous school year. Already over 126,000 tickets for the 2022/2023 school year have been issued to applicants for the new school year.
The normal eligibility criteria of the scheme still apply, and tickets continue to be allocated in line with this criteria. Pupils at primary level are eligible where they live no less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest primary school. At post primary level, students who live no less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre are deemed eligible. Any pupils/students who do not meet these criteria are deemed not eligible, or otherwise known as concessionary applicants, and are allocated a ticket based on the availability of a seat when all eligible children have been catered for.
In addition, pending completion of the outcome of the full review of the School Transport Scheme, Temporary Alleviation Measures at post-primary level will be continued for the 2022/2023 school year. Under these measures, which were initially introduced in 2019, transport will provided for post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school and who applied by the 29 April and registered for a ticket by the 29 July.
As part of the budgetary process some additional funding has been approved for the scheme which will allow officials in consultation with Bus Éireann to consider and evaluate where temporary additional capacity may be available.
The initial focus will be where families applied on time and who previously held concessionary tickets, however, it is important to stress that this is subject to capacity considerations. Constraints in sourcing vehicles and drivers in certain areas of the country may also mean that it may take a number of weeks to explore solutions for additional capacity.
All children who are eligible and who completed the application and registration process on time have been accommodated for the current school year. I am unable to provide the final figures for the current school year as Bus Eireann are continuing to assess school transport routes and capacity and where capacity exists on these routes Bus Eireann will continue to allocate tickets on a concessionary basis.
568. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education if she will provide details of the solar schools' initiative announced in Budget 2023; the number of schools that will have solar panels installed in 2023; the total funding for this initiative in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54714/22]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware Budget 2023 provided for the provision of funding from the Climate Action Fund in relation to the provision of Photovoltaic Panels in schools up to 6KW output.
This is really positive news for our schools and will assist with their energy needs and costs along with supporting the decarbonisation of our school buildings.
My Department's Officials are working closely with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications colleagues in relation to the arrangements for this scheme and details will be announced in due course.
It is intended the provision of the solar panels will be fully funded for schools.
569. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the way that the Government intends to further promote education on climate change and climate action in primary and post primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54715/22]
View answerEducation for Sustainable Development (ESD), as set out under target 4.7 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aims to ensure that by 2030 “all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development”.
Agenda 2030, The European Education Area, the European Green Deal and other key initiatives recognise the crucial role of education and training for the green transition. Learners of all ages need to be able to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to live more sustainably, change patterns of consumption and production, embrace healthier lifestyles and contribute – both individually and collectively – to the transformation of our societies. The European Council recently adopted a recommendation for member states to stimulate and support policies and programmes about learning for the green transition and sustainable development and said it was crucial to ensure that learners of all ages acquire the knowledge to live more sustainably, obtain the skills needed in a changing labour marked and take action for a sustainable future.
SDG 4.7/ ESD, is a target in itself but also acknowledged as a key enabler for all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including SDG 13 – Climate Action.
ESD has three strands;
- environmental (climate change; disaster risk reduction; biodiversity; environmental protection; natural resource management; urban decay; water security)
- socio-economic (economic growth; poverty; food prices; child labour; social exclusion; justice; debt-security; human rights; health; gender equity; cultural diversity; production and consumption patterns; corporate responsibility; population growth; migration)
- political (citizenship; peace; ethics; human rights; democracy and governance)
- 1st National Strategy for ESD 2014 – 202
- Ireland's 1st ESD strategy predates the UN SDGs (2015) but nevertheless they were closely aligned. Under the 1st strategy, the following were the key achievements;
- An interim review of the strategy published in 2018 identified significant progress in terms of: integrating ESD principles and themes across the curriculum from Early Years to post primary education; integrating ESD into the inspection and assessment process and integrating ESD into Initial Teacher Education and Continuing Professional Development for Teachers.
- An Audit of the Curriculum for opportunities and linkages to ESD was published by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in 2018 and found significant linkages to sustainable development across the curriculum.
- The introduction of the new Leaving Certificate Politics and Society curriculum. This covers a wide range of ESD related themes and incorporates a Citizenship Project (20% of the total marks), the titles of which are ESD related and which requires the student to for example give a presentation to their peers, present a summary report/ detailed analysis to government, relevant authority, media or political representative.
- A wide range of resources are available to schools to assist them to deliver ESD including for example the Green Schools programme which engages with 94% of schools and ECO UNESCO. A range of organisations also contribute to the provision of CPD for teachers. These resources are available on a central portal.
- The Teaching Council published Ceim - Standards for Initial Teacher Education.
- The standards state that all ITE programs must include Global Citizenship Education: to include Education for Sustainable Development; Well-being (personal and community); Social Justice, Interculturalism. There should be demonstrable integration between Inclusive Education and Global Citizenship Education rooted in the principle of care for others.
- Research at 3rd level has been orientated towards sustainability and the Systems Performance Framework for 3rd level HEIs includes requirements in relation to sustainable development.
- Implementation of the 1st strategy was overseen by an ESD Advisory Group chaired by the Department of Education and Skills which included representation from the Irish Second level Students Union (ISSU) and the National Youth Council of Ireland as well as some other Government Departments, agencies and NGOs such as Green Schools, ECO UNESCO and the Irish Development Education Association (IDEA).
2nd National Strategy - ESD to 2030
- The 2nd National Strategy for ESD to 2030, published in June 2022, is co-sponsored by the Department of Education, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth – all sectors of the education system.
- ESD to 2030 is built on the 5 pillars identified by UNESCO in their roadmap for ESD for 2030:
Policy Alignment
- Ensuring that Department and wider government policies are aligned where relevant (e.g.: the Climate Action Plan (D.ECC), the SDG National Implementation Plan (D.ECC), the Global Citizenship Education Strategy (D.FA), Biodiversity Strategy (D.HLGH) and so on).
Transforming Learning Environments
- Ensuring that students are learning in sustainable environments, “living what they learn and learning what they live”. This links for example to the school building and school transport programmes.
Building Capacity
- Ensuring that our educators have the necessary training to deliver ESD
Empowering and mobilising youth
- Not only giving our young people the knowledge, but empowering them and giving them the opportunities to take action for sustainable development.
Community engagement
- Creating links between our education institutions and local communities to drive action locally.
- ESD to 2030 was informed by a public consultation process including 90 detailed written submissions 150 completed surveys and a number of bi-lateral meetings and forums.
ESD to 2030 – Actions for School Sector
- Some of the key actions in ESD to 2030 for the Department of Education in relation to schools include:
- Development of a new Leaving Certificate curriculum for Climate Action and Sustainable Development by September 2024.
- Continuing to integrate ESD themes and principles across all curricular areas
- A further Audit of the curriculum for ESD linkages and opportunities
- Inclusion of the ISSU on the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
- The establishment of a working group to provide guidelines and templates for schools in developing their own sustainability policies.
- Raising awareness of Climate Action and Sustainable Development through the quarterly ESD Newsletter
- Working with partners to develop tools to monitor implementation and impact of ESD
- Creating opportunities for students to develop action orientated skills e.g. New ESD award in the B.T. Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition,
- Mapping ESD provision to identify and address gaps
- Engaging with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications on Climate Literacy
- Promoting programmes that support ESD such as the Green Schools programme, ECO UNESCO, World Wise Global Schools, Picker Pals etc.
- Promoting the use of the ESD webpage on Scoilnet: www.scoilnet.ie/esd/.
- Engaging with UN and EU partners on ESD e.g. the Department is represented on the European Education Area Working Group on Schools: Learning for Sustainability, the three co-sponsoring Departments recently submitted ESD to 2030 to UNESCO as Ireland’s ESD for 2030 Country Initiative: www.unesco.org/en/education/sustainable-development/country-initiatives.
A Steering Group comprising relevant Government Departments and key funding agencies has been established to oversee implementation and to ensure cohesion in terms of policy and funding for ESD across government.
The Department of Education has also established an ESD Advisory Group for Schools which will progress implementation of ESD across the school sector.
The Strategy and Implementation Plan are all available on the ESD webpage: www.gov.ie/en/publication/02952d-national-strategy-on-education-for-sustainable-development-in-irelan/.
As part of the redevelopment of Senior Cycle, on 29 March 2022 I announced the development of a new subject, Climate Action and Sustainable Development, which will be introduced for Leaving Certificate students starting in September 2024 in network schools.
A subject background paper has been prepared, and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has carried out a public consultation on this subject, which closed at the end of October. The Subject Development Group within the NCCA, through which the curriculum will be developed, has been convened and the first meetings have been held.
570. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the application for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54724/22]
View answerI would like to inform the Deputy that an application for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme was received from the school in question. This application was assessed and approved. As this is a devolved project the responsibility for progressing the works lies with the school authority.
571. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Education the status of the planned extension for a national school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54772/22]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that there is no current application on hand from the school authority in question. I can confirm that an application for additional accommodation was received in 2021 under my Department's Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) scheme. Following assessment of the application the school was advised that they had sufficient accommodation for their staffing cohort.
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 each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
At primary level, this situation generally arises to cater for a school’s accommodation requirements where an additional teaching post has been sanctioned by Teacher Allocation Section, or a new SEN class has been sanctioned by the NCSE, and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes.
572. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Education if she will publish research into the use of a reduced school day conducted under the schools' inspectorate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54787/22]
View answerA commitment was made under the Programme for Government to ensure robust data collection on the use of reduced school days and to further ensure that they are only used in a manner that is limited, appropriate and absolutely necessary.
During quarter four 2021, Department of Education Inspectors engaged with a number of school principals to explore the use of a reduced school day in certain circumstance. My Department issued guidelines to schools on reduced school days in September 2021 which came into effect from 1st January 2022.
My Department is working closely with Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to ensure that all students are supported to the greatest extent possible.
Tusla Education Support Service are tasked with gathering data from schools in relation to the use of reduced school days. It is my intention to publish this data in the near future and details will be on my Department's website. This data will inform the evaluation work of the Inspectorate in this area.
The communication of further guidance for the school system, including the use of student support teams in schools, and linkage with Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) and Education Welfare Officers (EWOs), in relation to the use of a reduced school day, will be progressed by the Department of Education.
573. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Education when she will launch the consultation on the Traveller Education Strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54788/22]
View answerI am committed to ensuring that actions to improve educational outcomes for Travellers are advanced in line with relevant Programme for Government commitments, including the commitment to develop a National Traveller Education Strategy.
Officials from my Department, together with officials from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, engage with Traveller representative organisations as part of the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) education subcommittee. This engagement will continue in the context of the development of the Traveller Education Strategy.
A range of actions to improve Traveller education outcomes are currently under way, and this will also inform Traveller education policy:
- A pilot project, Supporting Traveller and Roma (STAR), which is underway in four areas with the aim of improving attendance, participation and school completion. An independent assessment of the project is due to commence this year;
- Work by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to support teaching and learning of Traveller history and culture, which follows the 2019 audit of the curriculum in respect of Traveller culture and history. A full-time Education Officer has been employed in the NCCA to advance this work;
- Creation of a new post in the Professional Development Service for Teachers, with a dual role in overseeing, developing and supporting CPD in diversity/social inclusion and in DEIS, for which the recruitment is nearing final stages;
- The extension of DEIS status to an additional 322 schools I announced in March of this year, based on the refined DEIS identification model which includes components to reflect the educational disadvantage experienced by students who have self-identified as Traveller or Roma;
- Last month I announced details of the 2022 Dormant Accounts Funding to provide targeted supports to tackle education disadvantage for Traveller and Roma students. My Department received €400,000 to support attendance, participation and retention among Traveller and Roma learners. This additional funding will be used to allocate 10 new home-school community liaison (HSCL) coordinator posts in 14 non-DEIS post-primary schools.
575. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education if her Department intends to provide additional counselling supports to schools, given the increase in young person's experiencing difficulties with mental health and other issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54817/22]
View answerThe Department of Education plays an important role in supporting the well-being and mental health of our young people. The Department’s Well-being Policy and Framework for practice has given recognition to the importance of promoting well-being in education. The approach set out in the Well-being Policy is a whole school and preventative approach which has multiple components that include providing children and young people with opportunities to build core social and emotional skills and competencies, experience supportive relationships within the school setting and be part of a school environment and culture that feels both physically and psychologically safe.
Aligned with this policy, a number of supports are currently being offered to schools to support well-being and mental health.
- Schools are encouraged to use a reflective, school self-evaluation approach to identify and prioritise the needs of its own school community in relation to the promotion of well-being and mental health, and to respond to meeting those needs. To support schools in this work the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) is currently providing training to schools to ensure that the promotion of well-being will be at the core of the ethos of every school. Schools will be navigated through an introduction to the Well-being Framework and how to use the School Self Evaluation (SSE) process in guiding well-being promotion in their schools. These seminars will be supported by two webinars and in-school visits.
- At post primary level, counselling is a key part of the role of the Guidance Counsellor, offered on an individual or group basis as part of a developmental learning process, at moments of personal crisis but also at key transition points. The Guidance Counsellor also identifies and supports the referral of students to external counselling agencies and professionals, as required. Each post primary school currently receives an allocation in respect of guidance provision, calculated by reference to the approved enrolment.
- Following the publication by the National Education Psychological Service (NEPS) of guidance for post primary schools on establishing a student support team or reviewing an existing team, psychologists are currently facilitating post-primary schools to improve the Student Support Team process. Student Support Teams are the structure through which key well-being and well-being-related policies are implemented in post-primary schools.
- NEPS has developed training for school staff on the promotion of well-being and resilience in schools which include upskilling school staff on the use and implementation of therapeutically-informed approaches in schools. These include trauma-informed approaches, approaches based on the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy, and attachment-aware approaches. The approaches outlined in the training are based on research findings, on the experience of experts in their fields and on the experience of practising psychologists working in schools. The training will build the capability of school staff in both primary and post-primary settings, including for school leaders, teachers and SNAs.
- NEPS will shortly resume the provision of training for school staff on the Friends for Life programmes to help reduce anxiety in children and also the Incredible Years Classroom Management System. Priority will be given to schools new to DEIS.
- NEPS has launched an eLearning course - Responding to Critical Incidents in Schools. This course is aimed specifically at the school’s Critical Incident Management Team, but open to all interested staff.
- NEPS has developed a number of resources to support the well-being of children and young people from Ukraine enrolling in schools in Ireland. This includes:
Revised Guidance for primary and post – primary schools in relation to supporting the well-being of children/young people from Ukraine at this time. This includes support for students with special educational needs.
Guidance for Parents and Carers from Ukraine on Supporting the Well-being of their Children
A model of Psychological First Aid (PFA) to help teachers support students. The document is called Look, Listen & Link.
NEPS has also delivered a series of well-being webinars via the Education Support Centres of Ireland, to further support schools.
The programmes and initiatives set out above are in addition to the educational psychological support that NEPS provide to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to individual pupil casework where there is need. NEPS works closely with the HSE and its agencies to ensure those who may require the provision of therapy or counselling are referred on to the appropriate clinical services for intervention and support.
I announced in the budget, an additional 54 educational psychologists to provide services to special schools and special classes as part of budget 2023. I also announced in the budget that €5 million will be invested in piloting a programme of counselling supports for primary school students. This will serve to support the very positive work which already takes place in the area of well-being in our schools. The details of the programme are currently being finalised.
The Department of Health and the HSE provide child and adolescent mental health services through the HSE Primary Care Psychology Services and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
