Written Answers Nos. 103-110
103. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna cén uair a cheapfar foireann dearaidh do Ghaelscoil de hÍde san Órán Mór, Contae na Gaillimhe; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [20569/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAr an gcéad dul síos sannfar bainisteoir tionscadail don tionscadal dá dtagraíonn an Teachta. Beidh oifigigh ó mo Roinnse i dteagmháil leis an údarás scoile chun na chéad chéimeanna eile sa phróiseas a léiriú.
104. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills the retention level of pupils required to retain a second classroom teacher in an island school; the level of pupils required for a one teacher island school to get a second teacher; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20578/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra105. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of pupils in each offshore island school, not connected by bridge to the mainland, on 30 September 2012; the number of classroom teachers attached to each school; the number of general learning support hours allocated to each school; the number of resource hours allocated to each school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20579/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 105 together.
Teacher allocations are approved annually in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. My Department has published the staffing arrangements at primary level for the 2013/14 school year in Circular 0013/2013 which is available on the Department's website. This includes the appointment and retention figures (Appendix A) and the GAM/EAL - learning/language support allocation (Appendix C) for all schools. The number of pupils required for all one teacher primary schools to gain a second classroom teacher is 17 pupils.
Within the staffing arrangements there is special provision for island schools to retain the second or third classroom teaching post where the school is the only primary school remaining on the island. This special provision means that unlike the generality of schools in the event that a reduction in the pupil numbers of an island school will result in the loss of the second or third classroom teaching post in the school, the post may be retained subject to certain pupil retention levels.
In the case of the second mainstream post the total number of pupils must be at 8 or above and the school must be the only primary school remaining on the island. For all other primary schools this figure is currently 17 pupils. In the case of the third classroom post the total number of pupils must be at 45 or above and the school must be the only primary school remaining on the island. For all other primary schools this figure is currently 54 pupils. This information is set out at Section 3 of Circular 0013/2013. There is detailed historical information contained in the Statistics Section of my Department's website relating to the number of pupils and teaching posts in schools. The most recent published information relates to the 2011/2012 school year and is available at http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/. Figures for the 2012/2013 academic year are currently being compiled and will be available during the summer of 2013. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports. The resource hours allocation for each school is published on the NCSE website.
106. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the recommendations of the value for money report on small primary schools; the main conclusions of the report including the educational achievements of the past pupils of these schools; the decision he intends making on foot of this report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20584/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe report of the Value for Money review of small primary schools is currently being finalised. Once I have received and considered the Report, I intend to bring it to Cabinet for deliberation. The Deputy will appreciate that, until I receive the Report and until the normal Cabinet protocol in relation to it has been observed, I am not in a position to comment on the contents. However, the Report will be published in due course in line with normal procedures.
107. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide support services to children with Down's syndrome. [20598/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra113. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Education and Skills the educational supports available for children with Downs Syndrome; his views on requests for his Departments to recognise Downs Syndrome in its own right for the purpose of accessing educational supports and access to the maximum allocation of resources hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20720/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 113 together.
The Deputy will be aware of this Government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including children with Down syndrome, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs. The policy of my Department is to secure the maximum possible level of inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, or where a special school or special class placement may be required to ensure such placements are provided for.
Pupils with Down syndrome attending mainstream schools may receive additional teaching support in primary schools, either under the terms of the General Allocation Model (GAM) of teaching supports, if the pupil's educational psychological assessment places the pupil in the mild general learning disability/high incidence disability category, or through an allocation of individual additional resource teaching hours which are allocated by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), if the child is assessed as being within the low incidence category of special need, as defined by my Department's Circular Sp Ed 02/05. Pupils with Down syndrome may be allocated resources under the category of mild general learning disability, or under the categories of moderate general learning difficulty or Assessed Syndrome, in conjunction with another Low Incidence disability. There is not presently a distinct disability category of Down syndrome for resource allocation purposes.
I have asked the National Council for Special Education to provide me with policy advice on the issue of whether Down syndrome should be reclassified as a low incidence disability in all instances, regardless of assessed cognitive ability. This advice will be included in the NCSE's comprehensive policy advice on how the education system can best support children with special educational needs which is currently in preparation and which is expected in the coming weeks.
108. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of existing personnel who have gained experience administering third level grants under Student Universal Support Ireland during the past 12 months who are to be retained by SUSI for the 2013-14 academic year; and the total number of personnel to be employed by SUSI to process grants when the new cycle of grant applications commence. [20609/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand from SUSI that a total of 59 staff with previous experience are to be retained for the 2013/14 academic year. Due to the cyclical nature of work associated with student grants, the staffing levels are under continuous review by SUSI and the staffing levels to be engaged between now and October are part of this on-going review.
109. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a decision has been made on the appeal regarding a teacher allocation in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20648/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. The 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. The staffing arrangements for the coming school year 2013/14 are set out in Circular 0013/2013 which is available on the website. The staffing arrangements also include an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. The appeals criteria are also set out in Circular 0013/2013. The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The Board rejected the appeal at its meeting on the 27th/28th March 2013. The school has been notified in this regard. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.
110. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will support St. Michael's centre for autism, Trim, County Meath, in its efforts to implement the July programme. [20679/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraParticipation in my Department's July Provision Scheme is an option for all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism or severe to profound general learning disability that choose to extend their education services through the month of July. All qualifying schools have now been invited to participate in the 2013 scheme and application forms will issue this week to schools intending to participate. Any application which may be made by the school referred to by the Deputy will be considered on receipt of this application form.
