Paul McAuliffe
Question:471. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education to provide an update on a new school build (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36448/23]
View answerSchools Building Projects
Questions (471)
Written answers
As the Deputy will be aware, my Department is currently planning the delivery of a major campus project on the current site of the school referred to by the Deputy.
The project will deliver two new 1,000 pupil post-primary schools and 1 new 8 classroom primary school on this site.
My Department is currently developing the accommodation brief for this significant campus development and will continue to engage with the school patrons as part of this process.
School Transport
Questions (472)
Brendan Howlin
Question:472. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure that siblings (details supplied) will be provided with school transport, who availed of the service in the last school term; if she will review the circumstances of this case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36512/23]
View answerWritten answers
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, over 149,000 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.
There has been an increase of 21% in tickets issued to eligible students and an increase of 38% in tickets issued on a concessionary basis in the current 2022/23 school year compared to the 2021/22 school year.
In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who complete the application and payment process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using an agreed selection process.
Bus Éireann has advised that the children referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for school transport as they do not meet the distance criteria as set out in the school transport scheme and are not attending their nearest school/post primary centre.
Bus Éireann also advise that all seats have been assigned to the existing school transport service, which will be operating to capacity for the 2023/24 school year.
Schools Refurbishment
Questions (473)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:473. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education when refurbishment works at a school (details supplied) will be completed; and the estimated cost of these works. [36528/23]
View answerWritten answers
I am pleased to advise that the large scale major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy was approved to construction earlier this year. The project is devolved for delivery to Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB).
My Department understands from LMETB that the project commenced on-site in May of this year and completion is expected towards the end of 2025. The overall cost of the project will not be finalised until the project is completed and final accounts have been paid.
Schools Refurbishment
Questions (474)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:474. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education when refurbishment works at a school (details supplied) will be completed; and the estimated cost of these works. [36529/23]
View answerWritten answers
The large scale capital project at the school referred to by the deputy is part of an educational campus project with a post-primary school. The project commenced on site in August 2022 with an expected completion date in Q2 2025.
School Enrolments
Questions (475)
Eoin Ó Broin
Question:475. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education to outline her plans to increase the number of junior, senior and secondary school places available in Lucan, County Dublin, in the coming years to meet growing demand. [36534/23]
View answerWritten answers
Under Project Ireland 2040, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion capital investment over the period 2021-2025. This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high quality building projects, with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across Ireland. This investment will build on the good progress being made on adding capacity to cater for demographic changes and provision for children with special educational needs. This investment will also facilitate an increased focus on the modernisation of existing school stock and help transition the school system for an era of net zero carbon by 2050.
My Department has a large pipeline of projects for delivery under the school building programme. The main elements of this pipeline currently involve in excess of 1,300 school building projects for delivery under the Department’s Large Scale and Additional Accommodation Scheme. These projects are currently in progress across the various stages of planning, design, tender and construction. Most of which are expected to be either under construction or completed in the period up to 2025.
In Lucan, there are currently 16 school building projects in progress across the various stages of planning, design, tender and construction under the Large Scale and Additional School Accommodation Scheme. In addition there are 6 projects to be delivered under our Modular Framework. Most of these projects are expected to be either under construction or completed in the period 2023 to 2025.
The current status of all projects are listed on a county by county basis at www.gov.ie. and is updated on a regular basis to reflect their progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.
This also lists all school building projects completed under the Large Scale and Additional Accommodation Scheme, in county order, from 2010 to date.
I also wish to advise the Deputy that in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country, including Lucan, will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
Major new residential developments in a school planning area have the potential to alter demand in that area. In that regard, as part of the annual demographic exercises, my Department engages with each of the local authorities to obtain the up-to-date information on significant new residential development in each area. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes.
Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:
• Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
• Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
• Provision of a new school or schools.
The requirement for additional school places in the Lucan school planning areas is kept under on-going review. Additionally, my Department will continue to liaise with the local Council in respect of its review of the Development Plan with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements. New schools are established by my Department on the basis of identified demographic demand in an area, and only after consideration of the capacity of existing schools to absorb the expected school place demand.
School Funding
Questions (476)
Robert Troy
Question:476. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education when a decision will be made on an appeal by a school (details supplied) under the school grant scheme. [36552/23]
View answerWritten answers
I refer to your representations on behalf on the school in question in relation to additional funding for the Free Primary Schoolbooks Scheme.
As you know the scheme was announced, and it's details published, on Wednesday 22 March 2023.
More than 558,000 pupils enrolled in approximately 3,230 primary schools, including over 130 special schools, will benefit from this measure. This scheme will ensure that parents and guardians will not be asked to buy or rent any school books, workbooks or copy books from the 2023/24 school year. The total investment, of over €50 million, significantly increases the funding for school books previously provided to all recognised primary schools in the country.
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.
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.
As outlined in the Guidelines provided to schools, the schoolbook grant is calculated based on validated September 2022 enrolment figures.
Funding for Exceptional Cases as outlined in the Guidance caters for schools who may receive a number of pupils after 30th September. My Department received correspondence from a small number of primary schools, requesting additional funding where a significant increase in enrolments has occurred and the school cannot meet the costs of the books from within the original funding allocation.
Those schools have now been contacted and the Department has confirmed that, as an exceptional measure in year one of the scheme, a top up grant will be paid. I can confirm that the application details, under the exceptional cases category, of the school in question have been received by my Department and their application has been processed. The additional funding will issue to the school in the coming days.
School Accommodation
Questions (477)
Robert Troy
Question:477. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education the current status of capital works for a school (details supplied). [36553/23]
View answerWritten answers
Approval was previously given by my Department under its Emergency Work Scheme for funding for roof works at the school referred to by the Deputy.
This Scheme operates on a devolved basis and progress of any project at the school is therefore managed at school authority level rather than centrally by my Department.
School Accommodation
Questions (478)
Robert Troy
Question:478. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education the current status of capital works for a school (details supplied). [36554/23]
View answerWritten answers
I am pleased to advise that the school to which the Deputy refers was approved funding under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation scheme for the provision of a general classroom with a user assisted toilet and two special educational teaching rooms.
A stage 2b architectural report was submitted to my Department’s Professional & Technical team for review. Additional costs and inflation claim requests were subsequently submitted also. These submissions were reviewed by my Department's professional and technical officials. While the additional costs were deemed valid and approved, the school's design team were requested to adhere to the established Office of Government procurement guidelines in respect of the inflation claim request. The Department is awaiting a response in this context and will continue to engage directly with the school authority in relation to the project's progression to procurement, construction and completion.
School Accommodation
Questions (479)
Robert Troy
Question:479. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education the current status of capital works for a school (details supplied). [36555/23]
View answerWritten answers
The project to which the Deputy refers was approved funding under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation Scheme for the provision of two mainstream classrooms, toilets and additional funding under the my Department's Summer Works scheme.
The project is devolved to the school authority for delivery and it appointed a design team to progress the project through the various stages of architectural design, planning and construction. The project received the required statutory approvals and progressed to procurement. My Department approved the project to commence construction recently and it is now the responsibility of the school authority to progress the project to completion.
School Curriculum
Questions (480)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:480. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education where the evidence is from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) for its assertion that there is widespread support for its proposed change in the SPHE curriculum. [36584/23]
View answerWritten answers
As set out in the Programme for Government, this Government is committed to developing inclusive and age appropriate curricula for Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) across primary and post-primary schools. In giving effect to this commitment, my Department’s first focus has been on the development of inclusive and age-appropriate curricula and it continues to work closely with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in that regard.
The Report on the Review on Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in Primary and Post-Primary Schools, published in 2019 by the NCCA, is the basis for updating the curricula for SPHE and RSE. The review involved students, parents, teachers, school leaders, researchers and organisations, with a view to gaining a full appreciation of the nature of young peoples’ needs and experience of RSE. That review said there was unanimous agreement among students about the importance of RSE. Students said that they wanted a safe and inclusive environment where they can discuss, ask questions and talk about all aspects of relationships and sexuality. The NCCA recognises the important role of parents in this area of education and their engagement and interest in the ongoing review process. It has worked alongside parent representative groups to create opportunities for dialogue and consultation.
Following the report, the NCCA began its work on redeveloping the SPHE/RSE specification across primary and post primary.
The NCCA published the draft revised Junior Cycle specification for consultation in July 2022, with the consultation process running from 18 July 2022 to 18 October 2022. Consultation is a key aspect of NCCA’s work whereby advice is shaped by feedback from schools, education settings, education partners, wider stakeholders and the general public.
The consultation on the draft Junior Cycle SPHE curriculum included multiple modes of engagement during the three-month consultation process:
• Online surveys – one each for parents/guardians, teachers and students
• Written submissions
• Teacher focus groups
• Student focus groups
• Round-table consultation event
• Online consultation meeting.
Opportunities to participate in the consultation were promoted in several ways. Notices were placed on ncca.ie, in the NCCA newsletter and on social media platforms as well as being sent to education partners for dissemination to their members. In addition, two information webinars were hosted by the National Parents Council Post Primary to provide an update on SPHE/RSE developments and invite parental participation in the consultation.
In the case of the school-based focus group work, the NCCA posted an open call inviting schools to participate on their website and further disseminated the call through education partners’ organisational communications. Fifteen schools responded expressing interest in participating in the student and teacher voice aspect of the consultation, and five schools were chosen from this list of applicants to reflect a diversity of school types and locations.
Within each school, separate meetings were held with a focus group of 10-12 Transition Year students and with three to five SPHE teachers. In total, 56 students and 22 teachers participated in 10 focus group sessions across the five schools.
Online survey responses were received from 4,343 parents, 142 students and 102 teachers. In addition, written submissions were received from 40 organisations and 55 individuals. 317 emails and letters were also received.
NCCA hosted a round-table consultation event in Collins Barracks on October 6th, which was attended by representatives from over 40 agencies and organisations who work directly in the area of SPHE as well as representatives of groups/agencies who have specific expertise in a particular aspect of SPHE.
In addition, a meeting was held with nine HSE experts working in the areas of youth mental health, physical health, alcohol and substance use, and sexual health, to gather feedback on how these topics are addressed through the learning outcomes within the draft updated course.
The use of a broad range of consultation modes ensured that anyone who wished to contribute to the consultation could do so and led to breadth and depth of feedback on the draft SPHE curriculum. The survey and written submissions facilitated the collection of data from a wide cross-section of respondents, while the face-to-face events supported deeper discussion and exploration of the issues for consideration.
The NCCA published a report on the Junior Cycle consultation which can be found on their website at ncca.ie. In this report, the NCCA stated that the consultation generated huge interest and engagement and that in general, the draft specification was very well received.
Another finding in the report is that with respect to feedback from teachers, students, school leadership, support services and NGOs/agencies, there was unanimous agreement amongst these stakeholders that the proposed course is an important step forward in addressing the needs of adolescents growing up in Ireland today.
It says that while there was undoubtedly criticism of some aspects of the draft specification, a clear consensus emerged through the consultation that the work of developing an updated curriculum that is holistic, student-centred, inclusive and age and developmentally appropriate has largely been achieved in the draft specification.
Written submissions to the consultation are also publicly available on the NCCA’s website from all those bodies who consented for their submissions to be published.
All of the views expressed were considered by the NCCA in the completion of its work finalising the Junior Cycle SPHE Curriculum.
Following the public consultation process, the final updated Junior Cycle SPHE specification was published by the NCCA in May 2023 and will be rolled out in schools from September 2023.
Senior Cycle is next to be redeveloped. A background paper was already published for consultation in October last year, the results of which were published in February 2023. Subsequently, the NCCA opened a consultation on the draft Senior Cycle SPHE curriculum on July 12th 2023. It will run until October 18th 2023. This three month consultation will take feedback from teachers and students as well as other interested groups and individuals and I would encourage anyone with an interest in this area to engage with the consultation and share their views. More information on the consultation process, including how to contribute to it, is available on the NCCA’s website. All feedback and suggestions gathered through the consultation will be considered carefully by the NCCA and will inform the finalisation of the Senior Cycle SPHE course. A report of the process will be published alongside the final specification.
State Bodies
Questions (481)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:481. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education the reason the National Parents’ Council was closed; and when it will be reconstituted. [36585/23]
View answerWritten answers
The voice of parents and that of children and young people is of critical importance to me as Minister and to my Department in all of our work. Children and parents are engaged with regularly, in a variety of ways, in relation to all relevant policy being developed by my Department. To assist with ensuring that they have a strong voice, my Department provides funding to ensure that parents and students are supported to have national representation.
My Department has an obligation under the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 13/2014 to ensure that all Exchequer funds are accounted for and properly managed and that there is transparency and accountability in the management of public money.
My Department, following engagement with the National Parents Council Post Primary, commissioned an independent company to conduct a governance and financial review of the Council. This was in keeping with practice across other Government departments. Following a publicly tendered procurement process, an external company with considerable experience of governance and related issues was contracted to conduct a review of the governance and financial arrangements applying in the National Parents’ Council Post Primary (NPCPP), and to make observations and recommendations on foot of same.
Subsequently the NPCPP’s Board consistently and repeatedly declined to engage with this review process. The final report of the external governance expert, which had to be undertaken without the co-operation of the NPCPP, has now been published.
As a result of the serious governance issues which have arisen with the NPCPP, which have been set out comprehensively to the Board and are also detailed in the governance review report, the decisions by the Department to cease funding and withdraw the recognition of the NPCPP as a ‘national association of parents’ under the Education Act 1998, Section 2, are unchanged.
It is the view of the Department that to make any further grant payments would be a breach of its obligations to protect Exchequer funding. The Department did, however, offer to pay for any outstanding appropriate costs.
In order to ensure continuity of support for parents and their continued input into policy making, my Department has formally requested the National Parents’ Council Primary to extend its remit and provide representation and support to post-primary parents with immediate effect.
The Department sincerely regrets the situation which has arisen directly as a result of the actions of the Board of the NPCPP. As I referenced before, bodies in receipt of Exchequer funding are obliged to meet governance standards and to be transparent and accountable with regard to how this funding is used. Having strong parental representation remains a top priority for me and I am grateful to the National Parents Council Primary for stepping in to assist and ensure continuity.
School Curriculum
Questions (482)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:482. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education if schools will guarantee supervised classes or study time for the large number of children who will be taken out of SPHE classes in the coming year. [36586/23]
View answerWritten answers
Access to sexual and health education is an important right for students. Schools have a responsibility to provide for this, in consultation with parents, having regard to the ethos of the school. Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory curriculum subject in all primary schools and in post-primary junior cycle. Relationships and Sexuality Education (or RSE) is required at all levels, from primary through to senior cycle.
The redeveloped Junior Cycle SPHE specification was published by the NCCA in May and is due to be rolled out in schools from this September.
Work on redeveloping the Senior Cycle SPHE specification is well underway and it is expected to be available for public consultation in Q3 2023. A background paper was already published for consultation in October last year. Development of a draft Primary specification is expected to be completed in early 2025, with public consultation on this specification planned for 2024.
The work of updating the curricula in SPHE and RSE follows on from a 2019 National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) review of RSE across primary and post-primary. The review involved students, parents, teachers, school leaders, researchers and organisations, with a view to gaining a full appreciation of the nature of young people's needs and experience of RSE and this included responses from nearly 8,000 parents. That review said there was unanimous agreement among students about the importance of RSE. Students said that they wanted a safe and inclusive environment where they can discuss, ask questions and talk about all aspects of relationships and sexuality.
Consultation is a core feature of the NCCA’s work in developing curricula. The NCCA consultation on the draft Junior Cycle specification took place from July to October 2022, three months rather than the normal six week consultation. Many parents, students and teachers as well as organisations with an interest in the area took the time to participate in the consultation process and more than 4,000 parents responded to the online survey element.
In accordance with Section 30 of the Education Act, 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of classes which are contrary to the conscience of the parent if they so wish. It is expected that this right be upheld by schools on foot of a parental request.
The manner in which any school ensures that the right to opt out of classes is upheld is a matter for the school concerned. The school must determine the particular arrangements which are most appropriate in its individual circumstances having regard to local issues such as available space, supervision requirements and how the school concerned organises classes etc.
School Curriculum
Questions (483)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:483. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education what supports will be provided by her Department to the large number of children who will be excluded from SPHE classes due to the ethos of the new curriculum which is contrary to the ethos of their families. [36587/23]
View answerWritten answers
Access to sexual and health education is an important right for students. Schools have a responsibility to provide for this, in consultation with parents. Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory curriculum subject in all primary schools and in post-primary junior cycle. Relationships and Sexuality Education (or RSE) is required at all levels, from primary through to senior cycle.
The redeveloped Junior Cycle SPHE specification was published by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in May and is due to be rolled out in schools from this September.
Work on redeveloping the Senior Cycle SPHE specification is well underway. On July 12th last, the NCCA published a draft Senior Cycle SPHE specification for a public consultation which will run until October 18th. This three month window is to allow all interested individuals or groups to share their views and I would encourage anyone with views on this issue to engage with the consultation process.
Following publication of the Primary Curriculum Framework earlier this year, the NCCA have established a development group which has commenced development on updated primary specifications. It is expected that the draft specification for primary schools will be published in 2024, with a public consultation to follow this.
The work of updating the curricula in SPHE and RSE follows on from a 2019 NCCA review of RSE across primary and post-primary. The review involved students, parents, teachers, school leaders, researchers and organisations, with a view to gaining a full appreciation of the nature of young people's needs and experience of RSE and this included responses from nearly 8,000 parents. That review said there was unanimous agreement among students about the importance of RSE. Students said that they wanted a safe and inclusive environment where they can discuss, ask questions and talk about all aspects of relationships and sexuality.
Consultation is a core feature of the NCCA’s work in developing curricula. The NCCA consultation on the draft Junior Cycle specification took place from July to October 2022, three months rather than the normal six week consultation. Many parents, students and teachers as well as organisations with an interest in the area took the time to participate in the consultation process and more than 4,000 parents responded to the online survey element. Similarly, all feedback and suggestions gathered through the ongoing consultation of the draft Senior Cycle SPHE curriculum will be considered carefully by the NCCA and will inform the finalisation of the Senior Cycle SPHE course.
In accordance with Section 30 of the Education Act, 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of classes which are contrary to the conscience of the parent if they so wish. It is expected that this right be upheld by schools on foot of a parental request.
The manner in which any school ensures that the right to opt out of classes is upheld is a matter for the school concerned. The school must determine the particular arrangements which are most appropriate in its individual circumstances having regard to local issues such as available space, supervision requirements and how the school concerned organises classes etc.
Education Policy
Questions (484)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:484. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education the basis on which she ended ethos pluralism within schools. [36588/23]
View answerWritten answers
Officials of my Department have made several attempts to contact the Deputy to get clarity on this question. When the Deputy responds an answer will be issued to him directly.
School Curriculum
Questions (485)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:485. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education what weighting, if any, is given to the concerns of parents communicated in consultations. [36589/23]
View answerWritten answers
I understand that the question refers to consultation on the redevelopment of SPHE specifications. The contents of your question refer to the internal workings of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), the body which advises on curriculum and assessment for early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the NCCA for direct reply to you.