Written Answers Nos. 216-234
217. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will expedite and award a top up student grant appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42058/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, her student grant application was appealed to the appeals officer in SUSI on 3rd October and the student will be notified directly by SUSI of the outcome.
Where an appeal is turned down in writing by SUSI and the applicant remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his or her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board. The relevant appeal form is available to download from www.studentfinance.ie.
218. Deputy Dara Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 24 has not been awarded their full redundancy despite the relevant forms being submitted on time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42070/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe redundancy arrangements for Special Needs Assistants were agreed at a national level in 2006. The details and the rules in relation to these arrangements are outlined in my Department's Circular 58/2006. The deadline for receipt of applications for redundancy under this Circular is 52 weeks from the date of termination of the SNA's post.
The post referred to by the Deputy was lost from the school's allocation of SNA resources at the end of the 2008/2009 school year. As a result, the SNA's post was terminated with effect from 31st August 2009. An application for a redundancy payment was received by my Department on Monday 6th September 2010. The application was refused on the basis that it was received later than 52 weeks after the date that the employment was terminated. A letter of refusal was issued directly to the SNA referred to by the Deputy on the same day, i.e. 6th September 2010.
Following correspondence from both the SNA and the Board of Management of the school in September 2013 in relation to this decision, an official of my Department has been in contact with both parties and is awaiting clarification from the SNA in order that a decision can be made as to whether the SNA has an entitlement to a statutory redundancy payment calculated under the terms of the Redundancy Payments Acts.
219. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will expedite and award a student grant appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42079/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn appeal from the student referred to by the Deputy was received by the independent Student Grants Appeals Board. The Appeals Board have requested SUSI to review the application. SUSI will issue notification directly to the student once the review is complete.
220. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools who sought additional help hours in the delivery of the requirements of section 9(c) of the Education Act in the past 12 months; the number his Department approved; and the total numbers of hours allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42083/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra247. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will specify the change in the number of guidance hours delivered by guidance counsellors (details supplied) across all recognised second level schools and colleges of further education for the academic year 2012-2013, in contrast to the returns from the previous year. [42426/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra248. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills with respect to the returns from all schools in 2012-13, the number of schools that submitted a return where the teacher did not hold a recognised qualification in guidance and counselling and was timetabled to deliver a guidance counselling programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42427/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 220, 247 and 248 together.
Guidance is a whole school activity and it does not just involve the guidance counsellor. Under existing arrangements each school develops a school guidance plan as a means of supporting the needs of its students.
Since September 2012 guidance provision is now being organised by school management from within the staffing schedule allocation. In this way principals have discretion to balance guidance needs with the pressures to provide subject choice. A framework document was published jointly by the Post Primary Management bodies and the NAPD (National Association of Principals & Deputies) in September, 2012 to provide guidance for school management in the allocation of teaching hours to guidance counselling in post-primary schools in the context of the decision in Budget 2012 to withdraw the provision of ex-quota guidance hours to schools. This should be of assistance to schools in terms of how they maximise guidance provision.
My Department helped shelter the impact for DEIS post-primary schools by improving their standard staffing allocations. All 195 second-level school in DEIS have been given targeted support by a more favourable staffing schedule of 18.25:1. This is a 0.75 point reduction compared to the existing PTR of 19:1 that applies in non fee-paying second-level schools (23:1 in fee-charging schools).
My Department also has existing arrangements in place for providing short-term support to schools that are dealing with particularly acute incidents that arise due to tragic accidents, bereavements etc.. Five schools were supported in this manner in the 2012/13 school year.
224. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to his Department of providing a primary education to a child from junior infants to sixth class; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42115/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra225. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to his Department of providing post-primary education to a child from first year to sixth year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42116/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 224 and 225 together.
Based on Gross Current Expenditure for my Department for 2012, the estimated Unit Costs of a student attending First-Level Education is €6,272 per annum, while the cost of a student attending Second-Level and Further Education is €8,735 per annum.
226. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a submission (details supplied) and the actions he has taken since the meeting of 25 June 2013 regarding the issues; if he has had any or is planning any further meetings with the group or any such group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42154/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that I met with representatives of the group referred to by him in his question on 25th June, 2013. At that meeting it was clarified that 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.
It was also explained that 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.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a formal role under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, 2004 in advising me in relation to any matter relating to the education of children and others with disabilities.
My Department requested that the NCSE consider the issue of whether Down syndrome should be reclassified as a low incidence disability in all instances, regardless of assessed cognitive ability, in the context of its preparation of comprehensive advice on how the educational system supports children with special educational needs in schools.
The NCSE report on Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs in Schools has now been published and is available on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie. The report recommends that under the new resource allocation model proposed by the NCSE in its report, children should be allocated additional resources in line with their level of need, rather than by disability category.
The NCSE has recommended that in the short-term, pupils with Down syndrome pupils who are in the Mild General Learning Difficulty (Mild GLD) category should continue to be supported by schools' Learning Support allocation in the same way as other pupils with a Mild GLD.
The NCSE policy advice did not recommend that an exception should be made for children with Down syndrome who are in the mild general learning difficulty range, over other children who are in the mild range and who also may have other co-morbid conditions.
However, the NCSE report states that it is confident that the introduction of a new allocation model will overcome the difficulty posed by all children with mild general learning disabilities, including children with Down Syndrome, who have additional difficulties and who can be supported according to their level of need and in line with their learning plan process. In the meantime, schools are reminded that they can differentiate the level of learning support granted to ensure that available resources are used to support children in line with their needs.
The NCSE has established a Working Group to develop a proposal for consideration for a new Tailored Allocation Model, which is set out as one of the principal recommendations of the report.
Following our meeting of 25th June, 2013, I wrote to the group concerned on 29th July, 2013 to set out my Departments position in this regard and to reiterate that the NCSE considers that the concerns raised in relation to this issue can be addressed via the development of a new allocation model which will take into account children's individual learning needs, as opposed to diagnosis.
227. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the development of a new school (details supplied) in County Meath; if a site has been identified and secured; and the outstanding issues which present. [42164/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my Department has been working closely with the relevant Local Authority in relation to identifying and acquiring a suitable site for the school to which the Deputy has referred. A suitable site has been identified and negotiations on its acquisition are ongoing. Due to commercial sensitivities attaching to site acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to comment further on this matter at this time.
228. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to an incident in respect of a child (details supplied) being formally suspended initially for three days subsequently followed by a ten day extension of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42260/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra229. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills the current guidelines set out by Department with regard to suspension of special needs children arising from alleged incidents within a school facility; the guidelines that exist for the withdrawal of school services for a special needs child; the alternative or supports that will be put in place by the Department during this period; if formal guidelines are in place setting out how school should interact with parents/guardians in such instances. [42261/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra230. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in detail the procedures in place to determine whether a child’s needs (details supplied) in County Louth are currently being met within the current school attended; if the current school cannot meet these needs, to whom does responsibility fall to provide alternative arrangements; if he will outline if such situations are under the remit of a multi disciplinary team and if so which Departments would be involved. [42262/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 228 to 230, inclusive, together.
I wish to firstly advise the Deputy that my Department provides for a continuum of special educational provision to be made available for children with special educational needs, so that regardless of the level of need of the child, educational provision can be made for them. My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs in order to ensure that, wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education.
These supports include an allocation of additional teaching support as well as additional resource teaching and Special Needs Assistant (SNA) care supports which may be allocated to schools by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in respect of qualifying pupils.
Some children may be fully integrated into mainstream schools without additional teaching or care supports. Others are able to attend mainstream schools but need additional teaching and/or care assistance. In respect of children who cannot be accommodated in mainstream education, they may be enrolled in special classes or special schools where more intensive and supportive interventions are provided.
The extent of supports required for any child in a particular class setting or school will depend on their disability categorisation and the extent of care needs that they may have. As such, schools have access to a full range of supports to facilitate the enrolment of pupils with special educational needs.
I wish to explain also that the Board of Management of each school, including Special Schools, is required to prepare a code of behaviour in accordance with Section 23 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000.
To assist schools in formulating such a code, the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) has developed guidelines for schools on Codes of Behaviour The Act also requires that a school Code of Behaviour shall specify the standards of behaviour that shall be observed by each student attending the school, the measures that may be taken when a student fails or refuses to observe those standards and the procedures to be followed before a student may be suspended or expelled from the school concerned.
Schools may also seek advice from their local National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) psychologist, from their NCSE Special Educational Needs Organiser, or from the National Behavioural Support Services, as to how children with behavioural needs can best be supported in schools.
My Department also recently published new Guidelines for Schools on Supporting Students with Behavioural, Emotional, and Social difficulties, which are available on my Departments website at www.education.ie.
In circumstances where a child has been suspended or expelled, Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent or guardian to the Secretary General of my Department, or in the case of a Educational Training Board (ETB) school to the ETB in the first instance, where a Board of Management of a school, or a person acting on behalf of the Board, refuses to enrol a student in a school, expels a student or suspends a student for 20 or more days in any school year. In such circumstances the parent of the child concerned may lodge a Section 29 appeal against the decision of the school to expel or suspend and to have this case heard by an independent appeal panel.
Finally, I can advise that the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The NEWB may offer assistance and advice on securing a school placement if necessary. The contact details for the NEWB is National Educational Welfare Board, 16-22 Green Street, Dublin 7, phone number 01-8738700.
231. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he supports graduated teachers awaiting suitable employment availing of opportunities to teach in classrooms under the JobBridge scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42268/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraJobBridge is a National Internship Scheme that provides work experience placements for interns for a 6 or 9 month period. The aim of the National Internship Scheme is to assist in breaking the cycle where jobseekers are unable to get a job without experience, either as new entrants to the labour market after education or training or as unemployed workers wishing to learn new skills.
The scheme also gives people a real opportunity to gain valuable experience to bridge the gap between study and the beginning of their working lives.A person is eligible to apply if he or she is on the live register and has been in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance/Benefit or has been signing on for credits for at least 3 months.
The scheme may provide a newly qualified teacher with the opportunity to gain experience in an existing class in order to allow him or her to undergo the probation process and so become fully registered with the Teaching Council.
232. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of qualified teachers working in Irish schools this year under the JobBridge scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42269/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe number of qualified teachers working in Irish schools this year under the JobBridge scheme is not known to my Department. The JobBridge scheme is administered by the Department of Social Protection. Participants are not paid on the Department or ETB teacher payrolls. Participants receive, through the Department of Social Protection, a single allowance consisting of €50 per week on top of their equivalent existing social welfare entitlements.Circular 46/2011 sets limits on the number of internships in schools and ETBs.
The maximum number of internships a school or VEC can offer at any one time is dependent on their number of full time employees:
Number of Full Time Employees - Number of Internships
1-10 employees - 1 Place
11-20 employees- 2 Places
21-30 employees - 3 Places
30 + employees - 20% of workforce to a maximum of 200 internships whichever is the smaller.
233. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has had any discussions with the Irish National Teachers Organisation regarding their opposition to graduate teachers working in Irish primary schools under the JobBridge scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42270/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraCircular 46/2011 JobBridge National Internship Scheme outlines the JobBridge scheme as it applies in recognised schools. The circular was agreed with the staff and management partners including the INTO prior to its publication in October 2011.
234. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the 2013 UK A level examination results were notified to students within 24 hours of the 2013 leaving certificate examination results being notified to students; that all rechecks in the UK were completed by the end of August 2013; if he will explain the reason for the delay in the rechecks for students of the leaving certificate which had still not been issued one month later; if he will explain when the 2013 rechecks will be notified to students who sat the leaving certificate; if he will further explain the reason it takes more than twice the length of time as in the UK to complete rechecks; the steps he will take to prevent such delays in future as it is affecting students and college places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42275/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
