Written Answers Nos. 256-263
256. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education in view of the status of home economics as the second most difficult subject to recruit teachers for, the measures she will take to tackle the high cost to students on HDip courses for those training to be home economics teachers and bring them from current levels of €6,500 to a more affordable level, as has been done in other courses with teacher shortages. [6940/23]
View answerIn 2018, my Department established a Steering Group on Teacher Supply to facilitate multi-agency engagement and to lead on a coordinated programme of actions to support the supply of teachers. Arising from the work of this Group and its various substructures, the Teacher Supply Action Plan was published in November 2018.
The Action Plan called for the development of upskilling programmes in targeted subject areas for existing teachers, and following a request from my Department, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) issued a funding call to initial teacher education (ITE) providers for upskilling programmes in mathematics, physics and Spanish in late 2019. These were identified by the Steering Group as among the most challenging subjects in terms of teacher recruitment. Following the successful completion of the funding call, these programmes commenced in January 2021.
Upskilling programmes are provided over two years on a part-time basis. They are free of cost to participants. The first cohort of participants, approximately 170 teachers, completed these programmes in 2022 and some 300 teachers are due to graduate in 2023. My Department has agreed to extend funding in 2023 and to provide for additional capacity.
Funding for these programmes was put in place following a competitive call to all initial teacher education providers for proposals. It is intended to commence an upskilling programme in Irish in 2023/24 and consideration will be given to programmes in other subjects, which are yet to be determined. The allocation of funding for any future programmes will be dependent on a competitive process for potential providers.
257. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if she will provide more information on the proposed contract for adult education tutors working in the ETB sector; and the action she is taking to resolve the issues around terms and conditions for these tutors. [6938/23]
View answerOfficials have been engaging with colleagues in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, which has policy responsibility for the further education sector, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to this matter and discussions are ongoing. There has been previous engagement with Unions regarding these staff and while agreement was reached on some issues, the claim to align tutors to a pay scale of an existing grade in Education and Training Boards remains unresolved. A proposal in response to the Labour Court recommendation is currently under discussion between the Departments with a view to finalising the offer to the Unions as the earliest opportunity.
258. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education the proposals, to confer DEIS status on a school (details supplied) in Thurles, County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14380/23]
View answerMy Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential.
Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative of my Department to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level in a targeted and equitable way across the primary and post-primary sector.
In March last year, I announced the single largest expansion of the DEIS programme, benefitting 347 schools. The programme now includes over 1,200 schools and supports approximately 240,000 students. This means 1 in 4 of all students are now supported in the programme.
Schools were identified for inclusion in the programme through the refined DEIS identification model, which is an objective, statistics-based model. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme and the model has been applied fairly and equally to all schools.
The DEIS identification process is based on the principle of concentrated disadvantage and the proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds within a school. The DEIS identification model aimed to identify those schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage or the highest proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds within a school using the school's enrolment data and national census data as represented by the Pobal HP Deprivation index which is publicly available.
A detailed paper on the refined DEIS identification model is available on gov.ie at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/a3c9e-extension-of-deis-to-further-schools/#how-schools-were-selected-for-inclusion-in-deis
It is possible for neighbouring schools to have a different profile in terms of proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and the relative weighting of disadvantage apportioned in each. The designation of neighbouring schools as DEIS or non DEIS does not mean that there is no educational disadvantage present in a non DEIS school, but that the concentrated level of educational disadvantage of the school is different to schools classified as DEIS. Gender of students, or the designation of a school as single or mixed is not a factor in the DEIS identification model.
In accordance with Circular 0019/22 schools that were not satisfied with the outcome following the application of the DEIS identification model to their school enrolment data were provided with the opportunity to have that outcome reviewed.
The extension of the DEIS programme to new schools is just one component of work in my vision for an inclusive education system which supports all learners to achieve their potential. While the DEIS programme supports those schools with the highest levels of concentrated educational disadvantage, I also recognise that there are students at risk of educational disadvantage in all schools. Since June 2020, and over the past three Budgets, I have secured funding to provide measures to support children in this regard. As part of Budget 2023, I announced over €50 million to provide free books to primary school pupils within the free education scheme from next September. I have also further improved the staffing schedule for all primary schools to 23:1, the lowest it has ever been.
Following the National Census 2022 held on the 3rd April last, it is envisaged that an updated HP Deprivation Index will be generated by Pobal and will be available in Q3 of 2023. My Department will engage with Pobal in relation to this process. The updated HP Deprivation Index, when available, will be considered by my Department to help inform future resource allocation to tackle educational disadvantage.
The next phase of work will consider all schools, within and outside the DEIS programme and explore the overall allocation of resources to schools to tackle educational disadvantage. Part of this programme of work will involve consultation with relevant stakeholders over the coming months.
The significant investment to date and ongoing work of my Department reflects my commitment to supporting a quality and inclusive school system that provides an equal opportunity at success for children at risk of educational disadvantage.
259. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if her Department has received correspondence from an organisation (details supplied), concerning her Department's guidelines for the new free school books scheme; her plans to consult with the organisation and small independent retailers whose main business is the supply of schoolbooks in advance of the introduction of free books to primary schools for the 2023-2024 term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14383/23]
View answerI can confirm that my Department has received correspondence referred to by the Deputy and will issue a direct reply in the coming days.
Since June 2020, and over the past three Budgets, I have secured funding to support measures aimed at ensuring that all children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. One of the most important policies in this regard has been the establishment of Ireland’s first national primary school book scheme, which will provide free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks, in primary schools and special schools. More than 558,000 pupils enrolled in approximately 3,230 primary schools, including over 130 special schools, will benefit from this measure.
The total investment, of over €50 million, significantly increases the funding for school books currently provided to all recognised primary schools in the country.
My Department engaged with all relevant stakeholders as to how the scheme will operate. These included: primary school management bodies, unions, the National Parents Council Primary, representatives of booksellers and schoolbook publishers, IBEC, Retail Ireland, the Small Firms Association, Barnardos and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. My Department also engaged with a number of schools, including some of the primary schools participating in the DEIS pilot free book scheme, to learn of their first-hand experience of operating a book rental scheme.
Detailed Guidance on the implementation of the scheme is published and has been made available to primary schools to ensure schools have sufficient time to implement the new scheme in advance of the start of the 2023/24 school year. The Guidance has been informed by the engagements with all relevant stakeholders. The grant under the new scheme will issue to each recognised primary school in April. In the case of primary schools managed by ETBs, the funding will issue directly to the relevant ETB.
The implementation of the measure will build on the experience of the existing school book rental scheme, which is available in the majority of recognised primary schools, and on the free school books pilot provided to over 100 primary DEIS schools in recent years.
Primary schools and special schools will continue to have autonomy to choose books that meet their curricular requirements. The scheme will seek to ensure that value for money is achieved and that primary schools and special schools will be supported to implement the scheme in a way that has the best learning outcomes for pupils.
260. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 441 of 28 September 2021, and subsequent correspondence received from her Department sanctioning the transportation of a disabled child who is a full-time wheelchair user (details supplied) by the school bus service to a respite centre on the required days; if her Department will contact the school bus service concerned to confirm that the sanction is in place until such time as they are told otherwise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14386/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 147,900 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 3,800 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
The National Council for Special Education acts in an advisory role to the Department of Education on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs. Under the terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, the Department will consider the report of the Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO). School transport is provided to children with special educational needs who are attending the nearest school to their place of residence that is or can be resourced to meet their educational needs, as identified by the SENO.
As the Deputy is aware, School Transport Section had previously sanctioned drop off from school to a respite centre for the pupil in question, for one Friday afternoon every 4-6 weeks as is required.
Bus Éireann has now advised that the family have recently requested drop off and collections to and from the respite centre for an additional number of days.
School Transport Section is assessing this request and will liaise the family directly in this regard.
261. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if she will detail the contacts she has had with a school (details supplied) regarding the allocation of additional mainstream teacher(s); if she will provide an update and give assurance in relation to the staffing levels at this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14389/23]
View answerThe key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.
For the 2023/24 school year, the staffing schedule for primary schools has been improved by one point and schools will be provided with class teachers on the basis of 1 teacher for every 23 pupils which is a historical low ratio.
The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.
The appeal submitted by the school referred to by the Deputy was refused on the basis that the grounds of the appeal does not warrant the allocation of an additional post under Circular 0006/2023. The school has been notified of this decision.
262. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education if her Department plans has to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14407/23]
View answerThe Good Friday Agreement, signed almost 25 years ago in Belfast, remains a remarkable achievement, one that brought peace and transformed this island. To mark that achievement, the Government is coordinating a programme of events to celebrate the peace and to underline the ongoing centrality of the Agreement to relationships across these islands. The programme will acknowledge significant contributions from people on these islands, the US, the EU and further afield.
The centrepiece of the Government programme is a cultural performance in the Abbey Theatre on 2 April, representing the rich traditions of these islands in a reflection on the Agreement, its legacy, and what can be achieved in the next 25 years.
I have launched a competition to encourage students to reflect on the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement by submitting artwork, poetry, or visual and digital works, exploring the theme of ‘The Gift of Peace and the responsibility that comes with it’.
The anniversary is an opportunity to commemorate what was a transformative moment for everyone on this island, bringing peace and resetting relationships. The Good Friday Agreement remains the agreed framework for relationships within and between these islands. It provided the foundation for a peaceful, prosperous society and it remains the foundation for a hopeful future as we look to what the current generation of young leaders and peacemakers will achieve in the next 25 years.
A selection of the submitted works will be exhibited in the Department of Education on Marlborough Street and hosted virtually on Scoilnet.ie to commemorate the Good Friday Agreement, and a winner in each category will be selected.
263. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if route 4 qualification is to be abolished for special needs teachers; if analysis has been carried out of the number of special needs teachers that have qualified via route 4 in each of the past five years; and what the impact on supply of special needs teachers would be. [14451/23]
View answerUnder the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State. The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. As set out in the Schedule of the Regulations, the Council registers teachers under five routes of registration: Route 1 - Primary, Route 2 - Post-primary, Route 3 - Further Education, Route 4 - Other and Route 5 - Student Teacher. The minimum registration requirements for each route are set out in the Schedule of the regulations.
Route 4 of the Regulations provides for individuals who hold recognised Special Education Teaching qualifications obtained outside the State and for individuals who have obtained a level 8 qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications in Montessori Education in Ireland, to apply for registration with the Council. The 2016 Regulations contained a clause whereby Registration under the Montessori Education qualification will cease for graduates effective from 31 December 2023. Those already registered under this provision prior to that date will maintain their Registration status, including for renewals.
The most recent Teaching Council Annual Report 2021/2022 states that there are 1,374 teachers registered under Route 4.
There is currently no planned change to the statutory provision contained in the Teaching Council Registration Regulations 2016.
