Written Answers Nos. 142-156
142. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties in getting teachers to agree to facilitate a student for a ten-week teaching placement in view of the fact that they believe the length is overly disruptive on the yearly plans of work; and if she has spoken to the Teaching Council regarding this matter. [3350/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Teaching Council is the statutory body that reviews and accredits programmes of initial teacher education. The school placement experience is integral to all initial teacher education programmes and is governed by the Council's accreditation criteria, published in June 2011 (Initial Teacher Education: Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers) which must be adhered to by all providers of initial teacher education providers. My Department supports the changes introduced.
Based on existing good practice, the Teaching Council has prepared School Placement Guidelines in partnership with stakeholders. The Guidelines provide a structure for the school placement and are aimed at promoting collaboration and a balance of responsibility between programme providers and schools. The operation of the school placement is a matter of concern to the Teaching Council, schools, ITE providers and students alike and it is being examined. While the practical implications of implementing the guidelines are acknowledged, stakeholders in education need to work together to resolve any issues. The regulatory framework will evolve to meet the needs of schools, students and initial teacher providers.
143. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has spoken to the Teaching Council regarding the potential for introducing a streamlined approach for teacher training colleges to find places for their students' teaching practice placements in view of the projected increase in numbers and the current lack of a standardised approach. [3349/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Teaching Council is the statutory body that reviews and accredits programmes of initial teacher education. The school placement experience is integral to all initial teacher education programmes and is governed by the Council's accreditation criteria, published in June 2011 (Initial Teacher Education: Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers) which must be adhered to by all providers of initial teacher education providers. The extended duration of the placement allows for the development of a more reflective, enquiry-oriented approach and facilitates the development of the teacher as a reflective practitioner. My Department supports the changes introduced. Based on existing good practice, the Teaching Council has prepared School Placement Guidelines in partnership with stakeholders. The practical implications for participant HEIs, students and schools are acknowledged. I understand that discussions are ongoing as to how a more streamlined approach can be introduced nationally. My Department will provide support, as appropriate.
144. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address an anomaly in the process of the abolition of allowances from new beneficiaries from January 2011 which has left a small number of teachers, who were completing their fourth year of an honours degree in Marino Institute of Education in the academic year 2011-12, unequally remunerated; and her views on the announcement of 5 December 2011 as the arbitrary day on which teachers completing further qualifications had to be working to benefit from the allowance for those completing a further qualification during the year 2011-12; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3344/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2012 a public service-wide review of allowances was carried out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. As a result qualification allowances were abolished with effect from 1st February 2012. The Department's Circular provided an exception. This applied where as at 5 December 2011 a teacher was in employment on that date, and was eligible for receipt of a qualification allowance in respect of the post they held on that date, and that teacher was actively undertaking a course of further study leading to an additional qualification. The exception also required that the teacher did not cease to be a registered student on that course before its completion. The issues raised by the Deputy have been brought to the Teachers' Conciliation Council (TCC) by representatives of the teachers concerned and it would therefore not be appropriate to comment further until the issues have been deliberated on by that forum. The TCC is part of the scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for Teachers and is composed of representatives of the teacher representative bodies, school management, this Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and is chaired by an official of the Labour Relations Commission.
145. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills to set out her views with regard to the primary online database of students personal public service numbers and other personal information; the reason there is a need for a centralisation of children's personal information online; who has access and the reason the information is being held until these students are 30 years of age. [3369/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department has developed an individualised electronic database of primary school pupils (POD – the Primary Online Database). The primary purpose of POD will be to monitor the education progress of primary pupils (in DES aided schools), throughout the primary system and onwards to post primary level and to help them develop their full educational potential. Once up and running other secondary purposes of POD will include becoming the basis for the allocation of teachers and capitation grants. Aggregated POD data will also be used for the production and publication of primary level statistics. Individualised data coverage has already been in place for a number of years at pre-primary, post-primary and third level education who collect individual information on each pupil, including their PPSN. A PPS number is an individual's unique identification number for all dealings with the Public Service, including Social Welfare, tax, education and health services. Having the PPSN on the database will help ensure that there are no duplicate records in the system i.e. that two schools do not have the same child on their roll. In the future we will be able to track pupils from early childhood education, to primary school and onto post-primary, which will allow us to ensure that every child in the State of compulsory school age is in education. POD application roles have been developed which limit school staff to viewing and maintaining their own pupil records. Access within the Department to POD data is limited to the POD team which is currently less than 15 people. No agency or other Government Department will have direct access to the Primary Online Database. The current retention policy for Primary Online Database (POD) data is for records to be maintained for the longer of either the period up to the pupil's 30th Birthday or for a period of ten years since the student was last enrolled in a primary school. In future schools will no longer be required to keep the Clárleabhar therefore POD will be the official register of pupils in schools and data will be retained to allow pupils to obtain their records in the future. The Department's retention policy is for audit and accounting purposes as pupil's data is used in the allocation of teaching posts and funding to schools. The policy also serves to trace retention trends in the education system, is important for longitudinal research and policy formation, as well as being an important statistical indicator nationally and internationally. Aggregate and not individual data is used for the majority of these purposes. This retention policy has been agreed with the Data Protection Commissioner and the Department is continually reviewing its retention policy for pupil data in consultation with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. Figuring out which students don't make the transition from primary to post-primary is just one example of how this database could have enormous benefits for our citizens.
146. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will amend the student grant scheme in order that mortgage repayments on the family home are considered in the means test for grant eligibility and that the income limits be increased according to the number of other dependent siblings, so as to recognise the hard-pressed financial reality of heavily-indebted and larger families that are ineligible for grant aid due to income being in excess of eligibility thresholds, but who cannot afford to send a dependent child to college without grant assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3266/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraStudent grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. The assessment of income from the same starting point is deemed to be fair and reasonable because this approach eliminates any distortion which might arise from different spending decisions in different households. The Student Grant Scheme already provides for higher income thresholds for larger families. In addition to this, further increases in the income thresholds are provided for where additional family members are attending further and higher education at the same time. In the interest of equity, I have no plans to change the current arrangement.
147. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills when building works on schools (details supplied) in counties Leitrim and Roscommon will commence; when both new schools are scheduled for completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3340/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that in relation to the first school, my Department is currently engaged with the relevant County Council in respect of the identification and acquisition of a suitable site to provide a permanent building for the school in question. Due to commercial sensitivities attaching to site acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to provide further details at this time. In relation to the second school, referred to by the Deputy, I can confirm that the building project for the school in question is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning; Stage 2(b) – Detailed Design. All relevant statutory approvals have been obtained and the Design Team are currently working on the preparation of the tender documentation. The Stage 2(b) submission is expected to be submitted to my Department for review shortly. Both schools concerned have been announced to proceed to construction as part of my Department's 5 Year construction programme and in that regard, both schools were included on the 2015 building programme announced in December 2014.
148. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will reverse, partially, if not fully, the small school pupil requirement thresholds announced in budget 2012 in view of the improving public finances and the severe negative impact the new thresholds are having on small rural communities in particular; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3265/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy focus in Budget 2015 was on obtaining the additional funding that was necessary to provide for demographic growth. In the budget it was not possible to provide for extra teaching posts that would change the staffing schedule for primary schools, including small schools. The Government recognises that small schools are an important part of the social fabric of rural communities and will continue to be so. However, this does not mean that small schools can stand still or never have their staffing levels changed to something that is more affordable and sustainable. All public servants are being asked to do more with less and the teachers in our small schools cannot be exempt from this requirement. Since becoming Minister each of the education partners that I have met have indicated their own set of priorities. In the school sector these priorities include school leadership, pay restoration, reductions in pupil-teacher ratios, increases to capitation, and the restoration of ex-quota guidance counsellors in schools. Outside of the schools sector, the list of demands includes funding of third level, investment in early years and investment in technology. It is not, and never will be, possible to satisfy all of the demands of the education system at one time. Hence the need to identify priorities for consideration as part of future budgets and as our economy recovers.
149. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the extent to which she is aware of difficulties arising from the school enrolment process at various schools throughout the country, with particular reference to areas experiencing an increase in the population; her views on the proposed legislation in this regard to address the issues emerging; if it is possible to expedite the process in time for the next school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3345/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. In schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. In this regard a Board of Management may find it necessary to restrict enrolment to children from a particular area or a particular age group or on the basis of some other criterion. The criteria to be applied by schools in such circumstances are a matter for the schools themselves. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. Under section 15 (2) (d) of the Education Act 1998, each school is legally obliged to publish its enrolment policy. Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, provides parents with an appeal process where a board of management of a school or a person acting on behalf of the Board refuses enrolment to a student. Where a school refuses to enrol a pupil, the school is obliged to inform parents of their right under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 to appeal that decision to either the relevant Educational Training Board or to the Secretary General of my Department. The Child and Family Agency, is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The Agency can be contacted at 01 6352854 or by E-mail at info@tusla.ie. My Department uses a Geographic Information System to identify the location and scale of additional school accommodation needed on a nationwide basis. The outcome of demographic reviews carried out using this system are then fed into my Department's five year construction plan. This plan is focussed on meeting demographic demands to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to accommodate increasing pupil numbers. The Deputy will be aware that Government gave approval in March last year for drafting the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2014. The bill is currently at an advanced stage of drafting and is on the Government legislative programme for publication early in the Spring/Summer session. The objective of the Admissions to School Bill is to provide an over-arching framework to ensure that how schools decide on who is enrolled and who is refused a place in schools is more structured, fair and transparent. The framework also proposes a mechanism for ensuring that every child receives a school place. A key objective in designing the framework is to create greater confidence for parents that the admission criteria laid down by schools are legitimate, reasonable and fair.
150. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will put in place an appeals mechanism to allow isolated small schools appeal their staffing allocation based on their geographic isolation and inability to ever amalgamate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3264/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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 30th September. The staffing process also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. Circular 0007/2014, which is available on the Department website, sets out the staffing and appeals process for the current school year. The staffing arrangements for schools for the 2015/16 school year, including the appeals process, will be published in the coming weeks.
151. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills to set down her plans to provide schools with ring-fenced resource hours for the employment of those holding a recognised qualification in guidance counselling to enable all schools to provide every student with appropriate guidance as per section 9C of the Education Act 1998; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3355/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have no plans to re-introduce a separate allocation of resources hours to schools related to guidance counselling. If economic recovery continues I hope the Government will be in a position to improve the standard staffing allocation to schools. However, I believe that it is desirable to give schools discretion on how to use those increased resources. Guidance and counselling is a whole school responsibility with guidance counsellors playing their part within an overall team approach. Guidance counsellors have two distinct functions. The first is general career guidance and guidance on the educational opportunities a child or young person might pursue, while the second involves support for students' well-being. The principal and leadership of a school have the best knowledge and experience to determine how exactly guidance resources and teaching resources should be allocated.
152. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 178 of 1 July 2014 to detail the number of relief teaching days allocated to teachers on a departmental pension in 2013-14 and the current school year at primary and post-primary, respectively; the steps being taken to reduce this number; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3336/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe most recent information available on retired teachers employed by managerial authorities of schools relates to the 2013/2014 school year. During this period a total of 9,421 teaching days were worked by retired teachers. Retired Primary school teachers worked 5,259 days and retired Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive schools teachers worked 4,162 days. This is equivalent to 0.09% and 0.15% of the teaching allocation for the 2013/2014 school year in the respective sector. A total of 537 retired teachers were employed during the 2013/14 school year: 302 retired Primary teachers and 235 retired Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive teachers. Seventy four percent of those teachers worked the equivalent of 20 days or less during the entire school year.
The employment of teachers is a matter for the school management authority. The policy of my Department is to ensure, as far as possible, that school management authorities give priority to the employment of unemployed, registered and qualified teachers when filling vacant teaching posts. My Department has issued a number of circulars underpinning this policy in recent years.
153. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the extent to which her Department continues to monitor the incidents of school bullying; if she is conscious of the fact that a considerable amount of school bullying remains unreported due to fear on the part of the victims; if she will put in place structures to facilitate early identification and intervention with a view to minimising the incidents and protecting children of all ages who are subject to this behaviour; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3346/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that my Department published new anti-bullying procedures for all primary and post primary schools at the beginning of the 2013/14 school year. These procedures are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour amongst its pupils. All Boards of Management are required to adopt and implement an anti-bullying policy that fully complies with the requirements of the procedures. A template anti-bullying policy which must be used by all schools for this purpose is included in the procedures. The procedures outline key principles of best practice for both preventing and tackling bullying and require all schools to commit to these principles in their anti-bullying policy. In particular, they emphasise that a cornerstone in the prevention of bullying is a positive school culture. In that regard, the procedures set out the need for schools to encourage and strengthen open dialogue between all school staff and pupils and to ensure that they provide appropriate opportunities for pupils to raise their concerns in an environment that is comfortable for the pupil. The procedures also recognise the importance of good supervision and monitoring systems to prevent bullying and facilitate early intervention. The school's anti-bullying policy must explicitly confirm that appropriate supervision and monitoring policies and practices are in place to both prevent and deal with bullying behaviour. In relation to reporting bullying behaviour, the procedures make clear that a pupil or parent may bring a bullying concern to any teacher in the school and individual teachers must take appropriate measures regarding reports of bullying behaviour in accordance with the school's anti-bullying policy. The procedures require that all reports, including anonymous reports of bullying must be investigated and dealt with and that it should be made clear to all pupils that when they report incidents of bullying they are not considered to be telling tales but are behaving responsibly. The procedures include specific requirements in relation to the consistent investigation, follow up and recording of bullying behaviour amongst pupils. There is a requirement in the procedures for the school Principal to report regularly to the Board of Management in relation to the overall number of bullying cases and provide confirmation that they are being dealt with in accordance with the anti-bullying procedures. The Board is also required, under the procedures, to undertake an annual review of the school's anti-bullying policy and its implementation by the school. Written confirmation that the review has been completed must be made available to the Parents' Association and published on the school website. There is no requirement for reporting incidents of bullying centrally to my Department. Arising from commitments made in the Action Plan on Bullying, my Department's Inspectorate is placing a stronger focus on the actions schools take to create a positive school culture and to prevent and tackle bullying. For example, parent and student questionnaires issued as part of whole school evaluations, include, since January 2014, additional questions to get a clearer picture of how the school deals with bullying. Furthermore, the Inspectorate's plan for 2015 provides for collaborative research to be conducted in a sample of primary and post-primary on how schools provide for pupils' well-being. This will culminate in a research report which will highlight best practice.
154. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline her plans to support the valuable contribution played by schools within rural communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3335/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government recognises that small schools are an important part of the social fabric of rural communities. They will continue to be a feature of our education landscape. However, this does not mean that small schools can never have their staffing levels changed to something that is more affordable and sustainable for the challenging times the country has faced in recent years. As part of the Budget 2012 decisions, the number of pupils required to gain and retain a classroom teaching post in small primary schools was gradually increased between September 2012 and September 2014. An appeals process is available to schools that are affected by this measure. Educational quality for the pupils has to be one of the main criteria in any consideration of primary school size. It is also necessary to consider the needs of local communities and of course there are wider social and cultural factors that need to be considered. How best to sustain provision for widely dispersed and small communities does present as a particular challenge, especially in any locality where enrolment in their schools is declining to single figures and amalgamation is not an option because there is no other school nearby. Our current configuration of small primary schools has been examined by the Department in a value for money (VFM) review. The report of the value for money review of small primary schools will be published as soon as my Government colleagues and I have finalised our consideration of the report and its recommendations. The report contains much detailed and technical data in relation to the small schools in the primary sector and it also contains a suite of recommendations and options. Government needs time to properly consider the review report and its recommendations. There are a range of important matters to be considered. Decisions on school provision and any possible reorganisation must be widely perceived to be cost-effective, equitable and reasonable. These decisions need to be based on a rigorous evaluation of requirements and needs, not just at a local level but also at both regional and national levels.
155. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills to explain the reason the Government has breached the terms of the Haddington Road agreement with the non-payment or delayed payment of incremental salary increases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3379/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe details of the Haddington Road Agreement for teachers are extremely complex and are outlined in my Department Circulars 5/2014 for post primary teachers and 32/2013 for primary teachers.My Department operates the largest payroll in the State, with approximately 98,000 school employees and pensioners paid every fortnight. These payrolls have become increasingly complex over the past five years, due to the following:
- Introduction of three salary scales and two sets of allowances, by comparison to a single salary scale and set of allowances for all teachers, prior to 2010;
- Introduction of the Universal Social Charge (USC), Pension related Deduction (PRD) and the single pension scheme;
- Implementation of Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act 2001 and new sick leave regulations for schools employees etc.
In addition, the school employee payrolls have a high volume of substitute and casual appointments for payment, which is not a feature of other comparable payrolls for Civil Servants, Army, Garda Síochána etc. Work is ongoing at present to incorporate payments to home tutors through the payroll, which will broaden the range of payees coming within the remit of the school employee payrolls. Accordingly, the development of the software to implement the Haddington Road Agreement (HRA) in the context of the overall numbers being paid on the payroll (including substitute and casual appointees), the payroll complexities referenced above and the complexity of the agreement itself has been a very difficult and complex task. A further complication is the fact that the software programme in addition to dealing with the deferred increments has to calculate/re calculate the salary reduction provisions of the HRA for those reaching €65,000 taking account of the impact of increments and allowances. The development of the programmes together with the comprehensive testing necessary to ensure the correct application of the terms of the agreement has taken longer than projected to implement. The majority of increments for teachers earning less than €65,000 including allowances became payable from the 1st December as teachers are generally appointed from 1 September. For the majority of those earning in excess of €65,000 increments will become payable from the 1st March. The target dates for the payment of the deferred increments and arrears to primary teachers and special need assistants is the 12th February and to post primary teachers on the 19th February.
156. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will report on the situation whereby more than 120 applicants cannot access a place in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15, in particular the case of approximately 20 students from feeder schools; and the measures taken to relieve this situation. [3263/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, 2 new post primary schools have been established by my Department in recent years in the Dublin 15 area to meet demographic demand. The school to which the Deputy refers is a 1,000 pupil post-primary school. Since the school commenced operation, the school authorities have enrolled children commensurate with the level of demand in the area. However, the Department has been advised that the school must curtail enrolments from September 2015, as to continue with the previous enrolment levels would leave the school in an untenable position into the future with regard to its accommodation. However, the second new post primary school in the area which opened in September 2014 has advised my Department that they have the capacity to enrol additional children from 2015 onwards. In that regard therefore, my Department is satisfied that there are sufficient school pupil places overall to meet the demand in the area in question. This may sometimes, however, lead to pupils not being offered a place in their school of first preference.
