Written Answers Nos. 241-251
241. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will extend the exemption for students who fail an examination by a slim margin and who are entitled to a spelling and grammatical exemption to honours mathematics students, given the potential limitations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43237/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission (SEC) operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations for candidates with special needs in the Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations. The scheme is designed to support candidates who cannot show attainment in an area of the examinations system, for example a waiver from the testing of spelling and grammar for candidates who have a specific learning disability in the area of written work.
Waivers from spelling and grammar only apply in language subjects, as spelling and grammar are tested in these examinations, such that candidates are awarded, or may lose, marks based on their performance in this area of the examination. This only happens in language subjects, as marks are not awarded or lost in other subjects, such as History, Geography or Mathematics, in respect of spelling or grammar.
243. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will introduce an awareness and educational programme on cyberbullying in post-primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43250/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Action Plan on Bullying, which was published in January 2013, sets out my Department's approach to tackling bullying and promoting an anti-bullying culture in schools. These actions focus on support for schools, teacher training, research and awareness raising and aim to ensure that all forms of bullying are addressed. Implementation of the actions in the Plan is ongoing and good progress has been made in a number of areas.
New National Anti-Bullying Procedures for schools, which were published in September 2013, are currently being implemented by all 4,000 primary and post primary schools in the country. Training materials for parents, teachers and Boards of Management are also being developed and rolled out.
The Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum provides a unique opportunity for young people to develop skills and competencies to learn about themselves, to care for themselves and others and to make informed decisions about their overall health and well-being. Cyber bullying should be considered in the context of our approaches to dealing with bullying.Webwise, the internet safety initiative of the PDST Technology in Education, and the PDST Wellbeing Team (formerly the SPHE Support Service) have worked together, to develop the #Up2Us educational resource to be used by schools in implementing the SPHE curriculum in the Junior Cycle.
This Up2Us Anti-Cyber Bullying Resource is designed to enable students to develop a positive sense of themselves and a commitment to caring for themselves and others. This set of ten lesson plans is intended to be used by teachers and schools who wish to address the issue of bullying as a whole, with particular focus on the issue of cyber bullying.
Under the recently published Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 one of the objectives is to promote responsible and ethical use of the internet and related technologies, which includes an action to develop additional learning resources for teachers to integrate cyber-bullying awareness and prevention into each school's provision for Wellbeing including its curriculum programme for Social, Personal and Health, Education (SPHE).
244. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills why a school (details supplied) in County Mayo has been denied emergency funding; the criteria for eligibility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43255/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school to which the Deputy refers applied for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme (EWG) for the removal and replacement of a boundary fence.
As the scope of works is outside the terms of this scheme, the application cannot be considered for funding. To be eligible for EWG funding, the works must be sudden, unforeseen and, if not addressed, would cause the school to close.
The works which the school is seeking are appropriate for consideration under the Summer Works Scheme. In the alternative, the Minor Works Grant was paid to the school recently. The school can use this grant for the works in question if it deems them to be a priority.
245. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding allowing correspondence from the Department of Social Protection as proof of address for applications to Student Universal Support Ireland. [43256/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students.
An independent student must be a mature student, aged 23 or over on entry to college (or re-entry after a break in studies of at least 3 years) who has not lived with his or her parents for a period before entering college. Independent students are deemed to be self-supporting and are assessed without reference to their parents' incomes. The assessment as an independent mature student has to be carefully considered to ensure it is highly targeted at very specific circumstances where students can demonstrate that they have been genuinely self-supporting and living independently for a period of time before commencing their studies. Otherwise, he or she would continue to be assessed on the basis of parental income.
If the student to whom the Deputy refers considers that she has been unjustly refused a student grant or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she may appeal in the first instance to SUSI.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board.
246. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that the selection process for teacher qualifications at second level includes steps to ensure an adequate supply of teachers of core subjects on the curriculum. [43294/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra247. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the shortage of qualified Irish language teachers at second level; and how the situation is being addressed. [43295/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 247 and 246 together.
Other than in very limited circumstances, all teachers working in publicly funded schools must be registered with the Teaching Council. In order to be registered, they must meet minimum standards for qualifications which have been established by the Council. Once registered, the recruitment and deployment of teachers is a matter for school management guided by relevant circulars issued by my Department.
I have asked the Teaching Council to advise on the matter of teacher supply. A Technical Working Group was established under the auspices of the Teaching Council to develop a teacher supply model. The Group is also formulating advice for consideration by the Teaching Council on the matter of teacher supply.
I expect to receive the Group's report by the end of this year. I will then consider the report and the Teaching Council's advice and use these to inform future decisions on teacher supply.
248. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 208 of 5 November 2015, if she will arrange for the reply to be forwarded. [43303/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that details of all of the special classes for children with special educational needs, which are attached to mainstream schools, are published each year on the NCSE website at www.ncse.ie.
The list of post-primary Autism classes in Cork City and County has been compiled and I have arranged for this list to be forwarded to the Deputy.
249. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a primary school which is due to lose a teacher in September 2016 due to changes in the pupil-teacher ratio leaving the school one pupil short, given that the loss of the teacher will result in an extra large class with a number of pupils needing learning support; if the school can appeal this decision, given an expected increase in pupil numbers in 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43309/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary 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 2015/16 school year are set out in Circular 0005/2015 which is on the Department's website. The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. Details of the appeal criteria are set out in the published staffing arrangements.
The Deputy will be aware that I have announced a one point improvement to the primary staffing schedule in the context of Budget 2016. The improved staffing schedule which is also available on the Department website will be implemented for the 2016/17 school year. The staffing arrangements for all schools for the 2016/17 school year will be published early in 2016.
250. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the plans for the construction of a new post primary school for a location (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43311/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, I announced details on 17 November last, of the major school building projects that are scheduled to proceed to construction over the next six years, as part of the Government's €2.8 billion capital investment programme. A project for the school in question was included in this announcement. All projects, including the project concerned, will be progressed with a view to proceeding to tender and construction stages at the earliest opportunity. The Department will be in communication with the school in due course in relation to the next steps to be taken.
Information in respect of all schools included in the Six Year Programme is available on the Department's website at www.education.ie
251. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a DEIS post primary school retains DEIS status on amalgamation with a non-DEIS school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43312/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to explain to the Deputy that, in cases where a DEIS post-primary school amalgamates with a non DEIS post primary school, the new school will continue to receive the current level of supports in respect of the number of eligible pupils from the former DEIS school until that pupil cohort have left the school.
In the case of a post primary school, these supports continue to be supplied for 6 years following the date of the amalgamation.
