Vol. 746 No. 4
6 Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the concerns expressed by teachers of history and geography regarding the future status of those subjects taking into consideration the introduction of a new junior certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34784/11]
I have endorsed the broad thrust of the proposals on junior cycle reform submitted to me by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, in October 2011 following an extensive consultation process. It envisages all students will be expected to achieve 24 statements of learning over the three years of their junior cycle. These include developing an understanding of the natural world, learning how to think and act sustainably, understanding the distribution of social, economic and environmental phenomena, valuing local and national heritage and recognising the relevance of the past to current national and international issues and events.
It is clear, therefore, that geographical and historical awareness skills will be necessary to achieve the required outcomes. Overall, I am in favour of leaving the decision on what is offered at the discretion of the school and of students having as broad a range of options to choose from as possible. This issue will be taken forward in the discussions on implementation with the partners in education.
I welcomed the NCCA report when it was published both through a press release and at the Oireachtas committee on education. I compliment Professor Tom Collins, Anne Looney and their colleagues in the NCCA for the large amount of work they have carried out in the review since it was launched in 2009.
I welcome the Minister indicating to Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan that he would meet the teaching associations for history and geography. All Members are receiving concerns from teachers, not alone of history and geography, but other subjects. While I appreciate the Minister has many commitments, it would be all the better if these meetings could take place as early as possible.
The NCCA report contains a framework for the new junior certificate which does not contain geography or history as core curriculum subjects. This is a concern for teachers of these subjects. A better explanation for the reasons behind this would be useful.
The cap on subjects taken for the junior certificate examination can be introduced on a voluntary basis from the next school year. Before the mandatory cap is introduced in 2014, will the Department examine participation levels in different subjects? If a particular pattern or decline in subject participation emerges which is not good from an education point of view, it might allow a chance to redress the problem before the mandatory cap comes in.
There are some statistics available on the number of subjects junior cycle students take. I will make them available to Deputies later to better inform them of the situation.
The Deputy is correct that we have suggested that schools, on a voluntary basis, could reduce the number of subjects in which junior certificate examinations are taken to figure out the implications of the cap. Students from September 2014 will be the first cohort of the new junior certificate.
We are looking for a new name for the certificate. I have invited the Irish Second-Level Students Union and its president, Leanne Caulfield, to come back with a proposed name, as they are the people who will have to sit the examination. I want a new name for it to indicate it is not a revised or reformed course but a different type of course.
I am happy to meet with all the stakeholders. However, to ensure the meetings are productive, the stakeholders should meet first with the relevant sections of the Department dealing directly with their concerns. This will allow us highlight and identify the issues which require a political response rather than just clarification.
7 Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify his reference to upward pressures on teacher numbers due primarily to higher retention levels at post-primary level when explaining the reasons behind cuts to part-time language support teachers to a school (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34855/11]
Applications for part-time language support at primary level relate to schools that have less than 14 eligible pupils for language support. Decisions on these applications were deferred until the autumn, having regard to the overall level of demand for full-time language support and other upward pressures on teacher numbers in the context of operating under a fixed ceiling on teacher numbers. The increased retention level of pupils at post-primary level is a significant factor in the increased demand for teacher numbers. For many years this retention level has hovered around 81% but is now closer to 85%. While increasing this retention level is a long standing goal of the Department, it does nevertheless affect our capacity to manage within the fixed ceiling on teacher numbers.
Regrettably, my Department is not, therefore, in a position to approve applications for part-time language support posts and individual primary schools were notified accordingly.
The school in question had 12 pupils enrolled who needed English language support and wanted to retain its part-time language support teacher. The reply it received from the Department was similar to the one the Minister just read with references to upward pressures on teacher numbers due to higher retention levels. Basically, the school's principal could not understand it. Can the language used in such communications be simplified? Will the school be able to retain its language support teacher?
The Donegal school in question has 183 pupils and 13 teachers including the school principal.
That works out at a pupil-teacher ratio of approximately 14 pupils per teacher, which is a good ratio by normal standards but there may be different factors involved. If there are some difficulties in the communication to which the Deputy referred he might send me a note or we can discuss it with a view to getting clarification.
8 Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will explain the rationale behind his plans to build new schools in the Tallaght area, Dublin, at a time when it has failed to address requests to invest in other schools (details supplied) [34850/11]
Enrolments at primary level are expected to grow by 45,000 pupils between now and 2018. The priority is to focus on meeting the need for additional school places.
My Department has identified a requirement for new schools in the Tallaght area to cater for increasing demographics. These new schools will also serve to strengthen diversity of school provision in the area based on parental demand for the type of schools to be provided. In addition, there will be a requirement to extend some existing schools to meet the demographic need. In this regard, my Department is currently examining an application from the school to which the Deputy refers for improved and extended accommodation. My officials have met with the school and will be in further contact with the school authority as soon as full consideration of the application has been completed.
I welcome the fact that we are examining new schools for the area. It would be madness for a local Deputy to object to that but this school thought it was top of the list in terms of new build. They have shared a premises since the school opened and the difficulty now is that one of the prefabs they were using is defunct and the children can no longer use it. It is a gaelscoil and it now must use classes in some of the other schools, which is creating difficulties. The correspondence and discussion between the school and the forward planning unit had ceased as far as they were concerned. They had not heard anything in regard to it. Why was the Department planning new schools while failing to improve existing schools? That is the difficulty the school faced and is probably one that can be mirrored in other areas. In terms of the optics, most schools cannot understand what is happening.
The Department has given me some background information the Deputy may wish to hear which I will put on the record of the House. The school in question is Scoil Chaithlín Maude. It is a gaelscoil that shares a campus with two English medium primary schools, Knockmore Junior and Knockmore Senior. The gaelscoil is housed in temporary accommodation and also has access to four surplus classrooms in the junior school.
Scoil Caithlín Maude applied for grant aid to replace existing temporary accommodation in March of this year. My officials met with the representatives of all three schools in June of this year to explore how the accommodation needs of Scoil Caithlín Maude, together with the other two schools, could be met on the existing site. At the meeting Scoil Caithlín Maude indicated a preference for accommodation in an eight classroom separate building.
Having considered the position of the three schools a possible solution, and I invite the Deputy to explore it, might entail a reconfiguration of the existing layout of all three schools. However, the detail of how that might be achieved will need to be teased out with the schools concerned. It is intended that further contact will be made with the school shortly. The Deputy and I have now made contact on this matter and he might initiate that process. The reply is on the record of the House. If he wants further details I can give them to the Deputy.
I appreciate the Minister's reply. The school cannot keep up with the number of children trying to get into it. The demand is huge. It is ironic that the numbers are dropping off in some of the other schools in the area but the birth rate in the area has grown and the school cannot keep up in terms of streaming. It is a success story and one we should reward. We will examine the proposal in regard to reconfiguration the Minister referred to but there are major difficulties within the school. There is huge support in the area for the school and no one wants to see it move out of that area.
9 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the total allocation for his capital budget for 2011 will be spent this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34770/11]
My Department's capital allocation this year is €501 million. This allocation is assigned to eight subheads of which the schools building programme and investment in higher education are the largest. At the end of October, €367 million or almost 75% of the allocation was expended. In terms of the overall allocation 83% is assigned to the school building programme and at the end of October this programme was €5m ahead of profile. The balance will be fully expended by year end. I have also agreed with my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, that the outturn for capital expenditure will be close to €530 million and that the increased capital expenditure will be funded by savings found elsewhere in my Department.
The spend includes the €28 million primary schools minor works grant for the 2011-12 school year.
I welcome the Minister's statement that the capital budget will be spent, and overspent. With the savings he is able to move around there must be plenty of money in other parts of his Department.
It is very good management.
The Deputy is having a laugh.
Certain areas were generously funded. The Minister stated that 80% goes to the school building programme. Is the remainder for ICT?
No. In terms of the expenditure, the entire capital programme will be spent——
Yes.
——but as regards the draw-down in chronological time, by the end of October, 75% had been committed and drawn down. In terms of the overall allocation, 83% is assigned to the school building programme. There will be capital allocations elsewhere but most of the capital is in the schools building programme. I am sorry. I may not have made that clear. The total capital allocation is €501 million. Some of that would be in the third level sector.
It is a substantial programme——
It is.
——and we all know there is a huge amount of work going on throughout the country. The Minister gave approval for the minor works grant. That was a matter of concern to people throughout the country. School principals spoke to me about the importance of the minor works grant and I believe the Minister notified them last week that the grant would be paid for the year 2011-12, which I welcome.
My reading of the public capital programme is that there may not be a summer works or emergency works scheme. The Minister and I debated in the past the value to the taxpayer of the summer works and minor works schemes. I ask him to ensure that provision is made for the summer works and minor works schemes because all of us as public representatives, and the school community in general, have seen an excellent outturn for that State investment. I have seen schools being refurbished and extended under the summer works scheme with a relatively small amount of grant aid. Those schemes have given a terrific return and I appeal to the Minister to continue those schemes if at all possible.
I understand what the Deputy is saying and support his sentiments but we are in a different place now. We have the fastest growing birth rate in Europe. In the first quarter of this year the population grew. New infants born to this State amounted to 50 short of 20,000. I have to start building almost immediately 20 new post-primary schools each of which will accommodate 1,000 pupils when completed. We have to build 20 new primary schools of a scale that the Deputy would not be used to in Cavan. I am talking about 600 and 700 pupils in a primary school. We have to extend the existing accommodation provision in another 180 schools to meet this demographic demand, and I am not sure that we will have enough capital to do it. I have argued strongly with my colleague in Cabinet that this is what we need and because we have had to focus on the demographic cohort which is increasing — good news for all of us — we must ensure there is a school place for every child in this State. We cannot allow some children to remain outside the school system while we renovate and improve existing schools. This is the hard choice I have had to make. I would be pleased to discuss the matter in detail with the relevant committee of the Houses.
I share the Minister's attitude towards the increase in population. We all fully appreciate and are heartened by this positive development. The Minister must obtain a better return on taxpayers' money. A better system for delivering new schools is available. I am sure the Minister has available to him the prototype for delivery in regard to design. Many of the unnecessary costs and blockages have been removed from the system in recent years, which is a welcome development. There is no reason a 600 pupil primary school in north Dublin should not use the same design as a school in south Dublin, south Cork or any other major urban centre. I hope all unnecessary costs are minimised and the best possible return is achieved in the provision of additional classroom capacity.
The Deputy may be interested to learn that since June of this year, when I became aware in discussions with senior officials of the scale of the demographic challenge we confront, the Department has completely changed the method of procurement and management. We brought in additional assistance from other State agencies which had surplus professional capacity, for example, the now defunct National Building Agency, with which the Deputy may be familiar. We are discussing with the vocational education committees the possibility that they will act as agents on the ground to deliver work. There are excellent examples of this type of delivery in County Monaghan and I am sure Deputy Smith is familiar with them. We must streamline and speed up the traditional form of procurement between the client, namely, the Department, the patron and the construction industry. The traditional method is not sufficiently fast to deliver on the time lines with which we are confronted. This is the reason I introduced the changes.
The case in Monaghan to which the Minister referred is a great example of what can be achieved in a speedy manner. County Cavan VEC is also delivering new school buildings for the Department from a delegated function.
Did the Deputy indicate that in many respects he thought Monaghan was better than Cavan?
I got a few second preference votes in Monaghan.
10 Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of the 475 special needs assistant posts that were withheld that have been allocated to date; and if he will give a commitment that the 475 special needs assistants will be allocated by the end of the year. [34760/11]
The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is responsible for allocating special needs assistants, SNAs, to schools in accordance with my Department's policy. Over the summer the NCSE has advised all mainstream schools of their SNA allocations in respect of valid applications received by 17 June. The NCSE retained 475 out of the total 10,575 SNA posts available to allocate them to valid applications received since 17 June in respect of cases such as emergencies, appeals, acquired injuries or new school entrants with care needs.
The process of allocating these 475 retained posts has now begun. Approximately 20 of the retained posts have already been allocated, bringing the total number of posts allocated to date to 10,120 for the current school year. The NCSE has advised that it expects approximately 300 of the 475 retained posts to have been allocated to schools by the end of November. A number of posts will be required to be retained for allocation during the remainder of the school year.
I thank the Minister for providing an update on this important issue. Some media commentary has been unfair to the Department and National Council for Special Education given the significant progress that has been made in providing special needs assistants. The Minister of State, Deputy Sean Sherlock, spoke in the House about the remarkable progress that has been made in this regard in the past 13 or 14 years. The number of special needs assistants increased from 300 in 1997 to 10,575 in 2010-11. This was much needed progress.
Having had the opportunity to meet senior officials from the National Council for Special Education, I accept that the processing of applications is not straightforward and takes time. I ask the Minister to ensure every effort is made to finalise the 300 additional appointments and have the relevant special needs assistants in classrooms by the end of the month. I presume that when the first school term concludes, the profile of the classroom does not change much during the rest of the school year. It may not be necessary, therefore, to retain 175 special needs assistants. If there are applicants who meet the relevant criteria, the special needs assistant posts should be approved and the relevant SNAs allocated to the classroom. I do not envisage much change in classroom profile between Christmas and the end of the school year.
I am pleased the Deputy took the initiative and met officials from the National Council for Special Education. The Department sets the policy and NCSE officials, who are the experts on the ground, deliver the instruments with which policy can be implemented. I am advised by the NCSE that it is retaining 175 of the 10,575 special needs assistant posts. I will speak to the council to determine whether it would be prudent to release a number of these retained posts. Given that the total number of SNA posts is capped by the employment control framework, I will be advised by the need to retain a prudent number of posts. A post that is available to be filled should not lie fallow.
I understand a briefing has been organised on this issue, which is welcome. When we discussed the allocation of special needs assistants previously the Minister indicated the matter would be reviewed at some point. When will the review be completed? Will the House discuss the review to determine how it is being rolled out?
I strongly urge any Member who has an interest in special needs assistants and the highly emotive area of special educational needs, which is driven by genuine concern among everyone involved, to attend a meeting with Ms Mary Brogan which will be held in the Iveagh Room tomorrow. Details have been circulated to all Deputies. Two weeks ago, I had an opportunity to hear a presentation given by Ms Brogan in which she painted a much bigger picture than that normally painted by individual schools or the parents and relatives of children with special needs. It is not that the schools and parents do not give a comprehensive picture but that Ms Brogan paints a wider picture. I suggest the relevant committee explore this issue with the National Council for Special Education once Members have availed of the opportunity to listen to Ms Brogan's presentation.
One issue that repeatedly crops up — I am sure the Minister has heard concerns expressed about it by colleagues in the House — is a perception that needs assessments lack consistency. If this issue were addressed, it would allay the genuine fears of many parents, families and public representatives.
This issue formed part of the presentation made to me and I have no doubt tomorrow's presentation will be similar. Ms Brogan discussed the relationship between special education needs organisers and professional psychologists, both in the private sector and the National Educational Psychology Service, their experience and the time available to them. These are matters about which all Members should be aware because the SENOs and psychologists are the specialists on the ground.
11 Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Education and Skills the measures he has taken to address the fact that 99 employees in the higher education sector are earning more than €200,000 despite the introduction of a pay ceiling of €200,000 across the public service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34766/11]
Policy on rates of pay in the education sector forms part of wider public pay policy, including related commitments and reforms under the Croke Park agreement. Of the employees to whom the Deputy refers, 89 are academic medical consultants. Remuneration matters for medical consultants in the main falls within the remit of the Minister for Health. The other ten posts fall into two groups. The first are the four heads of level 1 universities. The revised pay ceiling of €200,000 per annum will apply to future appointments to these posts. The second group consists of six persons appointed under a framework provided for in section 25(5)(a) of the Universities Act 1997. Remuneration in the case of these appointments is not subject to ministerial sanction and having regard to the Act a pay ceiling may not be imposed. This framework is being reviewed.
The terms of the Government's pay ceiling will be imposed in the case of new appointees. I have written to the chairpersons of the university governing bodies requesting them to ask those individuals who earn in excess of the pay ceiling of €200,000 to make voluntary waivers of salary. Details of the methodology of how such voluntary waivers are to be effected were issued by my Department at the end of October 2011. Given the short time since the arrangements were notified, it is reasonable to allow some time for this matter to be concluded. I assure the Deputy that I am keen to ensure progress is made on this important issue in the coming period.
I thank the Minister for his reply. I would be disappointed if there were no instant responses to the Minister's calls for volunteers on this issue. I hope that people volunteer quickly.
I had an earlier question and the reply was somewhat different to the reply given by the Minister. It states that under section 25(4) of the Universities Act 1997, the remuneration of fees, allowances and expenses paid to employees of universities require the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, with the consent of the Minister for Finance. That differs from the Minister's reference to the section. I can appreciate he may not have the detail with him, but perhaps he can check it. There is a contradiction in the data that has been supplied to him. I would like to see the cap enforced as quickly as possible.
Another issue that arises is the amount of class contact time for senior lecturers and academics in our higher education institutions. Are there any proposals to ensure that more time is spent in the classroom in contact with the students by some of the senior academics?
I will have that reference to section 25 followed up and will be in contact with the Deputy. I do not have the exact information available to me. I share the Deputy's view that highly paid academics who are engaged in much research work should also teach. The ideal model expressed to me by the Irish Universities Association and by other professional educationalists is that a well qualified senior lecturer should combine research, teaching and work in the public community to a ratio of 40:40:20.
Is it not just about salaries, but also expenses and other extras? Some of these expenses can be as large as the salary. Has the Minister any idea on how that can be tackled?
I do not, although I have heard many opinions on what needs to be done. I will be meeting with the Higher Education Authority, the Irish Universities Association and the institutes of technology to discuss with them how we can get more with less. I am told by people who say they have knowledge of inside operations that there is room for improvement, but until I see the detail of that, I do not want to move on something on the basis of a mere rumour.
12 Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the particular duties or work that will be assigned to offices that are designated as sub-offices with the proposed re-configuration of vocational education committees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34776/11]
I have decided to maintain a number of sub-offices where staff redeployment from the head office of an existing VEC to the head office of the relevant education and training board is precluded by the distance as provided for under the Croke Park agreement, which is 45 km. The chief executive officer of the new education and training board will be responsible for the deployment of staff of the board and must figure out how particular administrative functions are arranged between the head office and any sub-offices, having regard to the skills and experience of the staff concerned. The CEO is best placed to judge the optimum approach to service delivery. The establishment of SOLAS is also likely to have a bearing on the precise arrangements to be made.
The Minister knows that I have been supportive of the general rationalisation of vocational education committees and the developments in further education.
That is true.
One issue that has arisen is security of employment. Where sub-offices have been established, the employees in the VECs are anxious to know if this is a short-term measure. When the time span of the Croke Park agreement is complete, will those employees be protected and remain in the newly established sub-offices? In some cases there is a large distance to be travelled to the newly reconfigured VEC. That is a cause of concern to employees at the moment.
I regret the delay in the process being put in place to identify and hire the 16 new CEOs who will head up the new local education and training boards. Their role is central. We have had some talks and I hope this matter will be completed as soon as possible. When those 16 new CEOs are in place, it will be up to them to drive the process. I know some Members were concerned or disappointed that there was no designated sub-office in their part of the constituency. The only reason to have a designated sub-office was to ensure that the arrangements we were bringing into place with these 16 new entities would comply with the terms and conditions of the Croke Park agreement. It is not an evaluation of the need for an educational office in a particular town or a particular part of the county. For example, by locating the new head office of the Louth and Meath local education and training board in Drogheda, the head offices in Dundalk and Navan were within the 45 km distance so there was no need to designate a sub-office, but in some of the other areas there is such a need.
This is being done purely for the purposes of implementing the rationalisation and integration of training boards in a manner that would make it compliant with the Croke Park agreement. It will be for the new CEO to decide what offices to maintain and operate across the territory of the new local education and training board.
Is the Minister considering any existing VEC headquarters for designation as a sub-office?
No, because I want the person charged with the responsibility of running the entire operation in an executive manner to make those choices. We do not have the expertise in the Department — I certainly do not — to be second guessing situations on the ground.
13 Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the role that the study of history plays in the development of literacy skills in second level schools; and if he acknowledges the harm that the perceived downgrading will do to our place on the Programme for International Student Assessment literacy table. [34875/11]
We could leave this question as we have already dealt with this on two questions relating to history.
I note the record will show that I have already answered questions on this.
It is agreed to leave this question? Agreed.
14 Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention had been drawn to delays in processing applications for children attending special needs schools and who want to avail of public transport; and the average time taken to process these types of applications. [34869/11]
Under the terms of my Department's school transport scheme, a pupil with special educational needs is eligible for school transport if he or she is attending the nearest recognised mainstream school, special class, special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced to meet the child's special educational needs under Department of Education and Skills criteria. While school transport applications for children with special educational needs are processed as expeditiously as possible, I understand that in instances where a new service is required, due to procurement procedures, it may take a number of weeks before a service can be established. If the Deputy has a particular case in mind, I will be happy to talk to him about it.
There have been several cases brought to my attention, probably due to the new school year. Has the system become more convoluted? I was speaking to someone in Bus Éireann who told me that the tendering process has become more complicated and agreed that the situation was less than satisfactory. One child with special needs was waiting three months for the paperwork to be done. Management at the school thought it had been sent and the SENO had looked after it. If that parent had kept the child out of school for three months, the welfare board would be calling around.
There seems to be a difficulty with the system itself. I can give the Minister some examples of this. Three months is too long a period to keep a child with special needs out of school.
I mentioned earlier that I have asked for a code of practice to be introduced for the provision of school transport to children with special educational needs. I hope that will help to expedite the process. However, I wish to outline the process whereby a child with special educational needs secures a school transport service. The application is completed by the parent and signed by the parent, the school principal and the special educational needs organiser prior to or at the time of first enrolment. Those applications are forwarded by the SENO to the school transport section. Bus Éireann is then requested to provide a report on the distance the child resides from the school of enrolment and the availability of a transport service. Where a suitable service exists, the child may be added to this service. This is a relatively straightforward process and should not take too long. It takes considerably longer to establish a new service, as this may involve the contracting of an individual taxi, which must be tendered by Bus Éireann. Other issues such as the need for wheelchair-accessible vehicles, special transport arrangements or an escort — which is the case for many children with special needs — and Garda vetting of drivers add to the length of time required to set up a new service. Parents may also be offered a special transport grant to take their children to school themselves. Each case is different and presents a unique set of complexities which must be addressed before a transport service can be finalised. Setting up a completely new service is a pretty convoluted and complicated process. However, if the Deputy knows of individual cases that he feels have taken an inordinately long time to process, I will undertake to examinethese.
I can understand that a new service takes some time to be established, but what is an acceptable length of time in the Minister of State's opinion? Is three months far too long? It is from my point of view. I can understand there are difficulties with resources and so on and that new services may have to be set up, but in the case with which I am familiar, there were five children in the same school having difficulties, and that was just one school. There are other schools, I presume, that are having similar difficulties. All I am asking is whether the Minister of State can investigate, through his officials, what the main difficulty is for Bus Éireann or whoever else is involved and whether there is a way of fast-tracking the establishment of such services.
Following on from the publication of the code of practice, I will undertake to discuss this with my officials. My sense is that as much streamlining as possible has already been carried out. There is a significant amount of tendering for unique, tailored services responding to the needs of individual children, but the tendering process, by law, is a pretty convoluted one, and there are certain timeframes and periods of assessment that simply must be complied with. They are feeding the delays in the process and there is nothing we can do about that. I will undertake to liaise again with my officials to see whether any further streamlining can be achieved.
On the issue of children with special needs, not only with regard to public transport requests, the Minister will be aware that we lost five special needs assistants in our local school before the summer. The parents of the children affected and public representatives on the ground have not been able to meet the special educational needs organiser to discuss this situation, which has been ongoing since the month of June. We have written, e-mailed and made requests, which have gone from pillar to post. We are now approaching the month of December. I find it unacceptable that someone in the public service is that unavailable to such a large number of people to discuss such a critical issue. These are people who are dealing, unfortunately, with children with special needs, which is distressing enough. They find the reduction in resources distressing, and not being able to meet the SENO is adding to that distress.
I agree that this is completely unacceptable. If the Deputy liaises with our Department we will undertake to have a meeting organised as soon as possible.
15 Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the rise in incidents of alleged child bullying and the role of some principals and staff in schools; if he understands the adverse impact of such incidents on students and their families; his views that some parents feel that their only recourse for justice is via civil law; if and when he proposes to introduce legislation to ensure that school principals, staff and boards of management can be held to account for their action or inaction in relation to issues of child welfare and bullying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34864/11]
25 Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the recourse available to a victim of serious school bullying in cases when the school authorities may have contributed to the problem and the school board of management have not successfully resolved the issues arising; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34865/11]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 25 together.
There is no requirement for school authorities to report incidents or allegations of bullying to my Department. My Department therefore does not maintain data in this regard. Section 23 of the Education Welfare Act 2000 requires all schools to have a code of behaviour. The Act further requires that such a code be prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the National Education Welfare Board, which were issued to schools in 2008. These state clearly that each school must have policies to prevent or address bullying within the framework of its overall school code of behaviour and discipline.
I have no plans to introduce any additional legislation as suggested by the Deputy. I am, however, committed to supporting schools in tackling bullying, and it is for that reason that a wide range of supports are in place to assist schools in dealing with this important issue.
While the Minister and I are here today exchanging questions and answers about education policy and legislation, there is a 15 year old child in my constituency who has been taught at home for the last two years because he has not been able to get back to school. The Minister is familiar with the case because I sent the file over to him. He has all the medical, psychological and psychiatric evidence of the damage that has been done to that child. The parents have devoted their lives to efforts to get this matter resolved. There was an incident between the school principal and the child. The parents have been to the board of management, the National Education Welfare Service and the Department of Education and Skills, but nobody seems to be able to resolve this. The problem is that the current system holds boards of management primarily responsible for standards in the school even if a complaint is made against a member of the board. It is the equivalent of the police investigating the police.
I will examine this issue again. I am not familiar with all the details, but I am very concerned about what the Deputy has said and I will take a personal interest in the matter. The amount of time this impasse has existed is simply unacceptable in a democratic republic. I will find out exactly what the situation is. I thank the Deputy for bringing the matter to my attention.
I thank the Minister. I would be happy to meet with him to discuss this matter because I am very worried about this child and others like him the length and breadth of the State.
16 Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills his view that any increase in the pupil teacher ratio at second level will seriously impact on the career and study options of our young persons and could mean that thousands of students will miss out on science education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34847/11]
As I have already stated, I will not comment at this stage on any changes to the pupil-teacher ratio and the impact it could have. I assure the Deputy that the Government in its budget discussions will endeavour to protect front-line education services as far as possible. However, this must be done within the context of bringing our overall public expenditure back into line with what we can afford as a country.
I am sure the Minister is aware that if there are cuts to teacher numbers and the pupil-teacher ratio goes up, this means more kids in classrooms in primary schools, but at secondary level it sometimes means that schools need to cut subjects. One school in Dublin has had to drop its honours maths teacher and its art teacher. Whatever way one looks at it, it seems a retrograde step to make honours maths and art unavailable in a school where they were previously available. Kids may have been studying one of these for three years and, all of a sudden in year four and year five, it is no longer available. Given that the Government is pretty keen to make sure we are progressive in the subjects we make available to students and that the future must involve an improvement in education facilities in order to benefit the workforce, does the Minister not think there should be some way of making sure schools do not lose particular subjects? Is there any way of safeguarding this?
It is my intention that when the budget has been announced and the measures have been signed off and voted upon by the Dáil, I will ask a group within the Department to examine the impact the measures may have within different schools across the country. It is not possible at this stage to predict these in advance. The measures that will be enacted in schools after the budget will start in the autumn of next year rather than in the next school year, which starts in September 2012. We will be examining it in that context.
The Minister skipped the question on history, which is of interest.
The Deputy is all right. He can read it.
Can I ask the Minister how interested he is in the subject of history? History has been an undervalued subject in Ireland, and given that history is the story of men and women and teaches us where we came from, who we are and where we are supposed to be going——
If the Deputy had been here an hour ago, the Minister would have given him the low-down.
If I told the Deputy I was on page 602 of The German Genius by Peter Watson, which details to a considerable extent the extraordinary genius of the German people for the last three centuries, would that be sufficient indication of my interest in history?
I am pleased to hear that. It is very good and I am impressed.
That is a very good answer and I am not the teacher.
There is a perception that history does not make money so there is less interest in investing in it. If the likes of George Bush and Tony Blair knew a little more about history, they might not have wasted ten years in Iraq and as many years in Afghanistan.
17 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the report of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs regarding the level of achievement in mathematics among students here; if he will implement the recommendations of this report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34729/11]
48 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to increase the uptake of higher level mathematics at leaving certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34728/11]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 48 together.
The key recommendations in the report, including bonus points for higher level mathematics, professional development for teachers and the roll-out of Project Maths, are being progressed. Bonus points will be implemented from 2012. Project Maths began in all second level schools in September 2010, building on the experiences of 24 project schools which started the programme in 2008. This is being supported by extensive investment in professional development for teachers which began in 2009 and which will continue until 2013 at least. As part of this, intensive postgraduate courses will be developed aimed at teachers who do not hold a major qualification in mathematics. A Project Maths implementation support group, an industry and education partnership, reported in 2010 on how stakeholders from business, second level and higher education can work together to achieve the objectives of Project Maths. The recommendations of this report are being progressed. My Department has also published the national literacy and numeracy strategy, which is designed to promote a significant improvement in mathematical skills throughout primary and second level schools.
What are the main recommendations of the report referred to in the freagra?
One of the main recommendations related to bonus points. From next year there will be 25 bonus points for mathematics. There will also be a system of continuing professional development of teachers at primary and secondary level in the teaching of mathematics, including a professional masters degree and a part-time higher education diploma in mathematical education. Consideration has been given to a four-year honours degree in mathematical education and, in addition, a tender for a postgraduate programme in mathematics will be finalised shortly, aimed at teachers who need extra support.
A report was produced by National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and Learning, NCE-MSDL, a function of the University of Limerick. It has carried out a good deal of work in this area and it is to be commended on the report completed under the tutelage of Dr. John O'Donoghue on the out-of-field teaching in post-primary education. Project Maths is dealing with this in terms of continuing professional development. The incentive of the 25 bonus points in the Central Applications Office, CAO, is being introduced in 2012 and it should have a positive bearing. The fact that there will be continuous benchmarking and evaluation against the Programme for International Student Assessment, PISA, results will be a true testament of whether we are getting results.
There has been significant buy-in by teachers, parents and schools and the new junior cycle curriculum will feed in to greater outputs because the short courses devised as part of that will give students a greater chance to interact with industry. For example, areas such as software programming, the pharmaceutical area and a host of other possibilities will engage their brains more laterally with mathematics and problem solving. We must ensure that there is a good coterie of people who can think critically and laterally and who can solve problems in a more effectual way, the end result being better outcomes. This is not to criticise the existing structures in place but we must continue to evolve mathematics learning in this country.
Sin deireadh le ceisteanna. Tá an t-am istigh.
Written Answers follow Adjournment.
