Denis Naughten
Ceist:34 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science if 2,000 pupils are on suspension on any one day, and the reason his Department does not maintain proper information on attendance.
Priority Questions. - School Attendance.
Schools are not required to advise my Department of cases where children are expelled or otherwise excluded from schools and the Department is not aware of such information having been compiled by any group or individual. In the circumstances I cannot comment on the accuracy of the figures referred to by the Deputy which I understand were quoted as an estimated figure at the recent national congress of the Parents' Association for Vocational Schools and Community Colleges. My Department, however, through its guidelines on school discipline, lays considerable stress on the use of suspensions and expulsions only as a last resort.
Under the rules for national schools no pupil shall be struck off the rolls for breaches of discipline without the prior consent of the patron and unless alternative arrangements are made for the enrolment of the pupil at another suitable school. In addition, my Department gives assistance in securing placement in individual cases. Typically this can arise where a pupil has been suspended as a result of disruptive behaviour and where alternative arrangements need to be made. In these circumstances, my Department endeavours through a process of consultation with the schools and through the inspectorate to assist in the reinstatement of the pupil in the school, or alternatively, his or her placement in another school. In more difficult situations my Department's psychological service is available to assess pupils in order to determine the nature and extent of any special needs with a view to having them addressed in the most appropriate manner. I should add that I am not satisfied with the adequacy of current arrangements in relation to school attendance, suspension and expulsion.
Under new legislation, which is currently being drafted and will be enacted in 1999, I will be bringing forward a comprehensive range of measures to address the problem of non-attendance at school. Among my key objectives is the establishment of a single national authority with responsibility for school attendance on a countrywide basis. The legislation will also include specific measures for the early identification and support of children at risk of dropping out of the school system. In addition, the eight to 15 early school leavers initiative will involve the development of a tracking template/pupil database for use in primary and second level schools which will track children's attendance and ensure corrective action can be taken at an early stage.
Does the Minister think the Department should compile these statistics on an ongoing basis so that we know the extent of the problem and to avoid the situation of one Department saying over 2,000 pupils per week are on suspension while the Department of Education and Science is unable to comment? Has the management support service, which was to examine areas including discipline, been established by the Department? If so, how successful has it been and how many queries have been made to the service in relation to discipline?
I am not aware of any Department giving a figure for the number of pupils on suspension. The figure was quoted by an individual at the recent conference of the Parents' Association for Vocational Schools and Community Colleges. It seems the figure was plucked from the air to a certain extent.
How does the Minister know?
Because I asked the person concerned and am aware that there is no statistical basis for the figure.
I remind Deputies that this is Priority Question Time and that no other Deputy is entitled to intervene.
I have made it clear that I am not happy with the existing situation which I inherited. The only way we can effectively deal with it is through new legislation. The School Attendance (Amendment) Bill will facilitate the compiling of such data and will place obligations on schools to notify the Department of children who have been expelled. No school may expel a child from primary school without first receiving the consent of the patron and, second, making sure alternative schooling is made available for the child.
I do not have figures in terms of the numbers who contact the Department on an ongoing basis to seek resolution of issues between schools and pupils. Currently, the Department has no authority to direct second level schools, for example, to lift a suspension or re-admit a pupil. What tends to happen is that we receive complaints from parents of children who have either been expelled or suspended. We advise parents of their rights and about utilising local appeals mechanisms to boards of management. Where this fails we intervene and officials of the Department are constantly working with schools and parents in this context to try to locate alternative schooling for young people in the event of a school refusing re-admittance due to disruptive behaviour, etc.
The management support service is currently being put in place.
Last May the Minister stated that the management support service was being put in place. Now, ten months later, we are still at the same position. Why has there been a delay in putting in place the support service, which is supposed to help principals deal with school planning and discipline, something the Minister stated he is not satisfied with?
Statements on Question Time are not in order.
Why does the Minister think that this paid official from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform plucked the statistic from the air? If the statistic is in any way correct does the Minister agree that suspension has not become a last resort? What is the delay in putting in place the appeals system which is provided for in the Education No. 2 Act which was passed by the House? Why do parents currently have no formal appeals procedure?
Obviously, regulations must be formulated in terms of the appeals mechanism which has been provided for in the Education (No. 2) Act which we piloted through the House. This will make a significant difference to parents in terms of their right to appeal decisions made by school management in relation to their children. Regulations are currently being drafted in the Department. This matter is receiving priority in terms of implementation of the Education (No. 2) Act which in itself is a huge process and which should not be underestimated. The appeals mechanism will certainly be implemented before the commencement of the next school year.
The individual concerned has been working for quite some time with parents, particularly those involved in that association, in a very positive way. That person made their own assessment in terms of a figure for suspensions, but there is no statistical data underpinning it. The actual figure could be higher or lower.
Should we not be in a position to know the correct figure?
Of course we should and it is regrettable that over the years nothing was done in this regard. Previous Governments did nothing in terms of developing a database for early school leaving, expulsions or suspensions. The School Attendance (Amendment) Bill, which is very close to publication, will deal with suspensions, expulsions and school attendance. Furthermore, in the context of the eight to 15 early school leaver survey, we are putting in place a tracking template for children at risk in primary schools so that in future we will be in a position to identify children professionally and at an early stage and make interventions to assist them and prevent them from dropping out of school. This is a new initiative. Consultants have been commissioned to produce such a tracking template. Obviously, the results will not be ready for some time, but the work is under way and resources have been allocated. We also secured additional funds in the budget to assist the planning process in schools to cater for such situations.
Will the Minister address the delay in setting up the management support service?
There is no significant delay. We have secured additional resources in the budget to facilitate that.