Written Answers Nos. 186 - 192
186. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Skills is she satisfied that primary and second level teachers receive adequate training on young persons' mental health; if not, her plans to improve it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9399/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Teaching Council, the State's regulatory body for the teaching profession, sets out clear standards for entry to the profession including standards of practice that relate to the personal well-being and development of students. The teacher's role in the holistic development of all students is clearly threaded throughout the Council's Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers. Initial teacher education providers aim to prepare teachers for all aspects of students' education, including students' holistic development. Course curriculum in the colleges of education and the education department of universities include studies that underpin the student teachers' understanding of the broader emotional, environmental and temporal contexts that affect the students in their charge. Prospective teachers are made aware of their responsibilities in relation to children's well-being - physical, mental and emotional - and to their roles and responsibilities regarding the appropriate and timely referral of children to external support agencies. The Deputy may be aware that I and my colleague, Minister of State Kathleen Lynch, launched "Well-being in primary schools - Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion" on 29th January 2015. The 'Well-Being in Post-Primary Schools: Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention' were published by my Department in 2013. Both guidelines provide practical guidance to schools on how they can promote mental health and well-being in an integrated whole school way. The Guidelines build on the significant work already taking place in schools, including the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, the whole-school guidance plan, and the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) continuum of support model. Support is available to all schools from the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), the HSE, Health Promotion Officers and other external agencies and support services. The PDST provide a range of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) supports for teachers at primary and post primary level including anti-bullying seminars on awareness raising, intervention and prevention, child protection seminars and school support in SPHE and related areas. In addition, CPD is available specifically to post primary teachers of SPHE in promoting positive mental health and well-being, mental health issues affecting Young People and Internet Safety and Cyber Bullying. The new Framework for Junior Cycle also places a clear emphasis on overall student health and well-being. This Framework is underpinned by eight principles, one of which is "Well-being". It also has eight key skills which are to be embedded in every new Junior Cycle subject and short course including the key skills of "Managing Myself" and "Staying Well". In addition, the 24 'Statements of Learning' that a student should experience during their Junior Cycle programme involve the student taking action to safeguard and promote their own well-being and that of others. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has developed a new short course in SPHE which includes strands such as "Minding Myself and Others" and "My Mental Health", and deals with issues such as mental health and mental ill-health, dealing with tough times, loss and bereavement. My Department is also working with the Department of Health to promote participation by primary and post-primary schools in the 'Health Promoting Schools' initiative. This European-wide programme aims to strengthen schools' capacity to be a healthy setting for learning and working by focusing at whole-school level on all the conditions that affect health and well-being.
187. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of second level schools that provide access to school based counselling services; the number of primary level schools that provide such access; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9419/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not hold the type of information sought by the Deputy in relation to school based counselling services. Since September 2012 at post primary level guidance provision is now being organised by school management from within the staffing schedule allocation. Guidance is a whole school activity and schools have autonomy on how best to prioritise their available resources to meet the requirements in relation to guidance and the provision of an appropriate range of subjects to students. This operates at local school level. The Department helped shelter the impact for DEIS post-primary schools by improving their standard staffing allocations. 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. The representative organisations for School Principals and school management developed a framework that assists schools on how best to manage the provision of guidance from within their staffing allocation. This approach puts a greater emphasis on group-work and class-based activity at senior cycle and maximises the amount of time available for those pupils that need one to one support. NEPS psychologists are available to offer their advice and support to schools in establishing and developing School Support Teams. The extension of the NEPS service to all mainstream schools since September 2013 also puts it in a good position to provide advice to the Teams in regard to students with particular difficulties and on onward referral or liaison with other community based services that also have a role in providing service to schools. Student Support Teams in Post-Primary Schools (DES 2014) is a NEPS booklet to promote the well-being of pupils in post-primary schools. Wellbeing Guidelines for Post-Primary and more recently for Primary Schools have been produced by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive. The guidelines are informed by consultation with key Education and Health partners and by the findings of current research. They provide practical guidance to schools on how they can promote mental health and well-being in an integrated school-wide way and they also provide evidence-based advice on how to support young people who may be at risk of suicidal behaviour. The Guidelines build on the significant work already taking place in schools, including through the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, the whole-school guidance plan, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) continuum of support model and the HSE, Health Promoting Schools Process. Information is also provided on how to access support from the SPHE Support Service and other external agencies and support services.
188. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a Student Universal Support Ireland grant appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9429/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that the student to which the Deputy refers, has appealed the decision of the awarding authority to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board. The appeal will be heard within the timeframe set out in the Student Support Act 2011. The student will be notified directly of the outcome of the appeal.
189. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills if transport will be provided to a primary school in County Cavan from a location (details supplied); if she will ensure that families in that general area who wish to have their children attend a school under the patronage of their particular denomination will have school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9449/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 km from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. A minimum number of ten eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment of a school transport service, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits.
Bus Éireann has advised that it has not received applications for school transport from children residing in the area referred to by the Deputy to the school in question.
Families who wish to apply for school transport can do so by completing an Application Form on Bus Éireann's website at www.buseireann.ie; the closing date for receipt of applications for the 2015/16 school year is 24 April 2015.
190. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide details of all properties rented by her Department; the annual cost of the leases; the duration of the leases; and the capacity and occupancy of each premises as of 31 January 2015. [9456/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information sought is being compiled at present and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
191. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason behind not awarding an Educate Together school to Kilcolgan, County Galway, considering her Department had entered into a long negotiation with a person (details supplied) in relation to a site they owned in Kilcolgan and that major works were carried out on site on the basis of these negotiations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9548/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe negotiations in respect of the proposed site to which the Deputy refers was between the school authority and the local land owner/developer. However, agreement could not be reached in the relation to the local land owner/developers proposal which also involved a build and lease back arrangement, and the proposal could not be progressed further.
192. Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will allow a waiver in spelling, grammar and punctuation in respect of a student (details supplied) in County Leitrim for their leaving certificate in view of their circumstances. [9552/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme are available for downloading from their website: www.examinations.ie/candidates/reasonableaccommodations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
