Written Answers Nos. 81-105
81. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason his officials have not yet communicated with the board of management of a school (details supplied) if the school is to be a new build school project or a refurbishment project; when the position will be clarified; when a design team will be appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45378/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school to which she refers is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme.
I wish to advise the Deputy that the project brief is currently being prepared. This is part of the preparatory work required to facilitate the progression of the project into the architectural planning process and my Department will be in further contact with the school in this regard.
82. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has completed the schedule of accommodation requirements for the extension to a school (details supplied); if completed, the details of the accommodation requirements agreed; if not, when the schedule will be completed; when a design team will be appointed for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45379/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme.
My Department has commenced the preliminary work, which includes devising the schedule of accommodation and will continue to liaise directly with the school authority in the context of advancing the project through the architectural planning process.
83. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills the length of time children from four to 18 years of age are waiting for places in ASD units in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45407/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe policy of my Department is to ensure that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with Autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network.
Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational interventions, delivered by fully qualified professional teachers, with the support of Special Needs Assistants and the appropriate school curriculum.
This policy has been informed by published research, including the Report of the Task Force on Autism (2001), the Evaluation of Educational Provision for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) (2006) and National Council for Special Education (NCSE) policy advice on Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (2016).
The NCSE policy advice on Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (2016) found that Students are generally well supported in schools with appropriate curriculum; extensive teacher and SNA supports; improving range of educational placements supported by improved accommodation and equipment; improved teacher knowledge and understanding and a generally good standard of provision at primary and post primary levels.
The NCSE Policy Advice also states that International Research findings suggest that most students with ASD should be considered for inclusion in mainstream education with their peers, where inclusion is well-planned and well-resourced.
Decisions about placement should be based on individual needs and take into account a number of factors including parental wishes, availability of evidence-based treatments and well-trained staff and individual factors such as targets for intervention and management of behaviours.
There is therefore not one preferred educational environment for children with ASD, rather there is a model which takes into account the assessed educational needs of individual pupils.
Almost 18,000 students in schools have been diagnosed with autism. My Department invests over €300m annually in providing additional resources specifically to support students with autism in schools enabling:
- 63% of students to attend mainstream schools
- 26% to attend special classes in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, and
- 11% to attend special schools.
Students enrolling in ASD Special Classes must have a report from a relevant professional or team of professionals (for example, psychologist, speech and language therapist, psychiatrist) stating that:
- S/he has ASD
- S/he has significant learning needs that require the support of a special class setting and the reasons why this is the case.
The NCSE, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), in consultation with the relevant education partners, is responsible for the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas where there is an identified need.
The NCSE continues to establish additional special classes to support children with Special Educational Needs including Autism as required. Since 2011 the NCSE has increased the number of special classes by over 100% from 548 in 2011 to 1,302 for the 2017/18 school year. 1,042 of these are Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) special classes of which 151 are being newly established for this school year.
The NCSE, in looking to open special classes, must take into account the present and future potential need for such classes, taking particular account of the educational needs of the children concerned. The NCSE will also take account of location and sustainability in looking to establish special classes in certain areas.
While it is not always possible to ensure that a special class placement will be available in a child’s local school, the NCSE has informed my Department that, in general, they are satisfied that there are sufficient ASD special class placements to meet existing demand.
My Department continues to work with the NCSE to ensure that there is appropriate planning in place to ensure that all children who require special class placements can access such placements in schools within their communities.
Details of all special classes for children with special educational needs, including those in the Counties to which the Deputy has referred are available on www.ncse.ie in county order, and with new classes identified.
The enrolment of a child to a school is a matter, in the first instance, for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools and it does not maintain details of waiting lists in schools.
Parents/Guardians who may need advice or are experiencing difficulties in locating a school placement should contact their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) who can assist in identifying an appropriate educational placement for their child. Contact details are available on www.ncse.ie.
84. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an application for additional accommodation by a school (details supplied) will be granted. [45423/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question has recently submitted an application for capital funding for the provision of additional accommodation. The application will be considered and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.
85. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of construction-related apprenticeships registered in 2015, 2016 and to date in 2017, by apprenticeship type and numbers in a specific apprenticeship scheme, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45426/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information sought by the Deputy is set out in the following table.
We are now seeing strong growth in registrations in construction apprenticeships with 2017 registrations likely to be close to 3,000. This is against a backdrop of a near total collapse in construction apprenticeship registrations during the crisis. Registrations fell from 5,208 in 2007 to only 650 in 2010. The current growth in registrations, which is forecast to continue to 2020, offers excellent opportunities for young people to build careers and is a critical component of skills supply to a growing sector.
Apprentice Registrations( Construction Related Crafts)
|
- |
Dec-14 |
Dec-15 |
Dec-16 |
Sep-17 |
|
YTD |
YTD |
YTD |
YTD |
|
|
CONSTRUCTION Related Crafts |
||||
|
Brick & Stonelaying |
20 |
26 |
52 |
40 |
|
Carpentry & Joinery |
185 |
291 |
399 |
301 |
|
Construction Plant Fitting |
56 |
77 |
59 |
68 |
|
Electrical |
845 |
956 |
1343 |
1,221 |
|
Electronic Security Systems |
16 |
28 |
28 |
56 |
|
Painting & Decorating |
11 |
19 |
27 |
33 |
|
Plastering |
9 |
7 |
18 |
27 |
|
Plumbing |
318 |
289 |
345 |
397 |
|
Total |
1460 |
1693 |
2271 |
2,143 |
86. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the recommendations of the all-party committee will be implemented to allow all full time low-income QQI degree students receive their SUSI entitlement and to allow them access to the HEA student hardship fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45428/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI welcome the publication of this report by the Joint Committee on Education and Skills which examines the eligibility of maintenance grants to students in private colleges.
Under my Department's student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme. The definition of an approved institution is set out in Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2016.The Joint Committee’s report is currently being considered by officials in my Department, in the context of overall budgetary constraints, and the large number of competing demands on available funding.
The issue of the future funding of student supports has been raised in the wider context of the Cassell’s Report which has proposed a series of options for a sustainable funding model for third level. The report is being considered by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills in order to build political consensus on the most appropriate future funding model. The Committee is finalising its deliberations and is due to report to the Minister for Education and Skills in the near future.
87. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the formal role his Department has with an organisation (details supplied); if public funds are provided to it; the organisation through which it is provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45437/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe organisation referred to by the Deputy is recognised in statute as the body which collectively represents a number of statutory bodies under my Department’s remit. Similar to the funding provided by my Department to school management bodies, an annual grant of €168,650 is provided to this body as a contribution towards the annual general running costs of carrying out its core business. The Department also supports a number of posts based within the body for the purpose of supporting Departmental priorities such as driving the reform programme and the Further Education and Training strategy for the sector.
These supports are provided in accordance with the Department's service level agreement with the body concerned.
88. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 121 of 10 October 2017, if a medical card will cover payment for concessionary school transport offered in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45441/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
During the 2016/17 school year almost 116,000 children, including some 12,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.
Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest Post Primary School/Education Centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann has advised that the child in question is not attending her nearest post primary school and is therefore not eligible for school transport.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only. Concessionary transport is subject to a number of terms and conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service and payment of the annual charge.
Only children who are eligible for school transport and who hold valid medical cards (GMS Scheme) are exempt from paying the annual charge.
The terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.
89. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Education and Skills if Bus Éireann will consider changing the existing pick-up point at Inch Church car park of students from Annascaul, County Kerry, that are attending a school (details supplied) to Annascaul village as requested by parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45444/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
During the 2016/17 school year almost 116,000 children, including some 12,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
In general, children are eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school.
Bus Éireann has advised that the children in question are not eligible for school transport as they are not attending their nearest school.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only which is subject to a number of conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service and payment of the annual charge.
Under the terms of the School Transport Schemes routes will not be extended or altered to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis.
Accordingly, the request to change the existing pick up point cannot be considered as the children in question are not eligible for school transport.
The terms of the School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.
90. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Education and Skills if adequate funding will be provided to a school (details supplied) in view of the fact that its pupil numbers are rising and it urgently needs funds to expand and accommodate these rising numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45456/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, my Department recently approved the provision of permanent mainstream classroom accommodation at the school to which he refers, to replace prefabricated accommodation in poor condition.
The school subsequently submitted options to my Department to deliver additional specialist accommodation together with the replacement classroom accommodation previously approved. The school's proposal and accommodation requirements are currently being considered and my Department will be in further contact with the school on the matter in the near future.
91. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Education and Skills if funding for transition year will be increased in view of the fact that more pupils are opting to partake in transition year (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45457/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Transition Year grant is paid on a per capita basis – therefore it increases/decreases in line with actual participants. The rate is €95 per annum per student. Capitation grants are paid to schools on the basis of enrolment regardless of what year the student is enrolled in.
The amount of funding provided by my Department for transition year has risen from €3.1m in 2014 to €3.6m this year.
92. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to review the system of Garda vetting of special needs assistants to allow for one garda vetting disclosure to be sufficient for all schools and for this to be renewed biannually; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45458/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn April 2016, the Minister for Justice and Equality commenced the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 (the Vetting Act) which put in place statutory requirements for the Garda vetting of persons involved in working with children and vulnerable persons.
The Vetting Act applies not just to schools but to any relevant organisation that employs, contracts, permits or places a person in relevant work with children or vulnerable persons.
The vetting legislation and the vetting procedures operated by the National Vetting Bureau fall within the remit of the Minister for Justice and Equality. However, when the statutory vetting requirements were commenced my Department issued circular 0031/2016 which set out the statutory vetting requirements applicable to schools along with the practical arrangements in place to support the vetting procedures.
The circular outlines that the Vetting Act allows for some limited exemptions to the requirement under Section 12(1) of the Act to obtain a vetting disclosure from the National Vetting Bureau prior to commencing an employment, including in certain circumstances in the case of persons such as SNAs undertaking recurring substitute employment in a particular school.
A Frequently Asked Questions document was also published by my Department to assist schools with queries in respect of the circular.
93. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna cén uair a cheadófar maoiniú le síneadh a chur le scoil (sonraí tugtha), a bhfuil fíorghá leis; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [45471/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFéadaim a dheimhniú gur chuir an scoil dár thagair an Teachta Dála iarratas faoi bhráid mo Roinne maidir le cóiríocht bhreise. Tá eolas breise iarrtha ag mo Roinn ar an scoil chomh maithe le soiléiriú ar eolas a cuireadh ar fáil ina n-iarratas. Nuair a gheofar an t-eolas seo, is féidir an t-iarratas a mheas a thuilleadh agus cuirfear an cinneadh in iúl don scoil.
94. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether families and children living in rural areas are becoming increasingly disadvantaged in their education due to lack of high-speed or fibre broadband; if he has raised this matter with relevant Cabinet colleagues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45510/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that Broadband capacity can vary due to geographical location and local infrastructure, and thus impact on the service that can be provided. The policy of my Department is to offer the best quality connectivity to all schools in line with the technical solutions available in the market and financial constraints.
Under the current broadband access Programme my Department continually reviews the availability of services and upgrades schools where the opportunity arises, in line with contractual and budgetary requirements. All post primary schools have broadband speeds of 100Mbs or more. In relation to the primary school sector, significant improvement has been made in recent years with the number of primary schools with speeds of greater than 30mbs increasing from less than 100 in 2012 to over 1000 by the end of 2017.
The need to further improve broadband connectivity to primary schools is recognised in the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020, and access to high speed broadband is one of the indicators identified in the Digital Strategy Action Plan. An interDepartmental working group has been established to determine how best to address broadband connectivity to primary schools in collaboration with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and my Department and in the context of the National Broadband Plan and the Intervention Strategy, and proposed industry provision.
As the deputy is aware the National Broadband Plan is a Government wide initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all businesses and households across Ireland. Under the National Broadband Plan, the government has committed to intervening to ensure high speed broadband is available in parts of the country where commercial providers alone will not provide the essential services. This commitment to intervene will ensure that no school is left behind.
95. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure that the allocation of special needs assistants is done in a timely manner to facilitate school planning; the actions undertaken by his Department in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45511/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn July last, when I announced that an additional 975 SNAs would be available for allocation to schools between September and December this year, I recognised that we needed a better system of SNA allocations for future years.
I said at that time that I hoped to have a more robust system where we would use the National Council for Special Education prediction models to inform the annual estimates process to enable budgetary provision to be made for the following year.
As a Government we have managed to achieve that. As part of the package of education measures in the recent Budget 2018, I announced that almost 1,100 additional SNA posts will be available for allocation to schools in 2018, over 960 of which will be available for allocation from September 2018.
Making that decision now will facilitate earlier allocations of SNAs to schools for the coming year once the application process for the 2018/2019 school year has been undertaken and concluded by the National Council for Special Education.
96. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he will take to ensure that all art teachers are trained in both the new junior certificate visual art course and the new leaving certificate coursework; the reason no guidelines have been issued to schools on a new marking scheme; the reason for the delay in issuing exam papers to schools that were posted online on 2 October 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45513/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraJunior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) is the Department service supporting schools in their implementation of the Framework for Junior Cycle through the provision of appropriate high quality continuing professional development (CPD) for school leaders and teachers, and the provision of effective teaching and learning resources.
All schools have been asked to register their teachers with JCT in order to facilitate the delivery of Junior Cycle CPD. In the case of visual art, 1,347 teachers have now registered and 424 have to date attended a CPD workshop for visual art. It is intended that all teachers of Junior Cycle Visual Art will receive a full day facilitated subject workshop in 2017/18. Art teachers will also be supported by ongoing online resources and live webinars.
In relation to CPD for teachers of Leaving Certificate Art, the Professional Development Service for Teachers provided a programme of support for teachers of Art prior to the introduction of the revised assessment arrangements for the subject.
The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this, I have forwarded your questions on the operational aspects of the examinations to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
97. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to commence section 10 of the Education for Persons with Special Education Needs Act 2004. [45515/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra98. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide special needs education co-ordinator power to designate a secondary school place for a person with special educational needs. [45516/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 98 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that the issue of the providing power to the National Council for Special Education, as envisaged under Section 10 of the Education for Persons with Special Education Needs Act, to designate a school place for a person with special educational needs, is currently being considered in the context of the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016.
The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 is an important piece of legislation which strives to create a new more parent-friendly, equitable and consistent approach to how school admissions policy operates for the almost 4,000 primary and post-primary schools in this country.
The Bill will:
oblige all schools to admit pupils where there are available places. It is important to note that 80% of schools are not oversubscribed;
include a specific requirement that school enrolment policies must include details of the school's arrangements for any students who do not wish to attend religious instruction;
prohibit the charging of fees or seeking payment or contributions for an application for admission to a school or for the enrolment or continued enrolment of a student in a school;
allow the NCSE and the Child and Family Agency to designate a place for a child in a school;
provide for schools to explicitly state in the school's admission policy that it will not discriminate against an applicant for admission on the grounds of disability, special educational needs, sexual orientation, family status, membership of the traveller community, race, civil status, gender or religion while including provision for single sex schools and denominational schools to reflect, in their admission policy, the exemptions applicable to such schools under equality legislation.
The Bill provides an over-arching framework for greater transparency and consistency in school enrolment generally and thereby gives greater confidence to parents that the admission criteria laid down by schools and the procedures used by them are legitimate, reasonable and fair.
The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 was published on 6th July 2016. The Bill passed committee stage on 28th June 2017 and is due to progress to report stage shortly.
99. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills his powers with regard to a child with disabilities, particularly in cases in which mobility is limited, to ensure that the child has a place in a school location suited to their needs. [45517/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have enrolled students with special educational needs, in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled s/he will have access to an appropriate education.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is a separate independent statutory agency, is responsible through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for planning and coordinating the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs. Each SENO works in an assigned local area with parents, schools, teachers, psychologists, health professionals and other staff who are involved in the provision of services in that area for children with special educational needs.
Parents/guardians of children with special needs who may need advice or are experiencing difficulties in locating a school placement should contact their local SENO for information on available places. The local SENO contact details are available on www.ncse.ie .
The enrolment of a child to a school, however, is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools. Parents are advised to seek to enrol their child, by applying in writing, to their school/s of their choice as early as possible.
It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. The 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 this Department.
100. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the chief executive officer of a training board (details supplied) is retiring early; if it was necessary to sanction it at Department level; the level this is sanctioned at; the arrangements being put in place for a replacement chief executive officer; the estimated timeframe for the recruitment process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45518/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is aware that the chief executive of the training board intends to retire at the end of December 2017, in line with normal retirement arrangements for which Departmental approval is not required.
The manner for filling this vacancy is by way of open competition conducted by the Public Appointments Service. It is not possible at this stage to estimate the timeframe for such a recruitment process.
101. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the proposed timeframe for development of a new school (details supplied) in County Wexford once the tender process is closed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45523/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn July 2017 the Stage 2b (Detailed Design) for this project was approved, pending the completion of the process to carry out a short-listing of suitably qualified building contractors and sub-contractors. The relevant short-listing contract notices were posted to the Official Journal of the European Community (OJEU) and the Government's E-tenders website on 27th September and 8th October respectively.
My Department anticipates that, following the tender process to appoint a Building Contractor, this project will go on site and commence construction in the first half of 2018.
102. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to use national capital investment to create a south eastern university drawing upon existing institute of technology campuses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45524/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra107. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the upcoming national capital investment projects at institutes of technology will examine creating a south eastern university using Carlow, Wexford and Waterford campuses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45556/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 107 together.
The Technological University for the South-East (TUSE) consortium comprises of WIT and IT Carlow. There is a commitment from the leadership in both institutions to make a joint submission for a Technological University of the South-East region. To date the HEA has provided the TUSE consortium with €0.57m for TU project development. The HEA has made a 2017 call seeking submissions for funding from consortia earlier this month. Some €6m in funding is available in this call including €4m which was ring-fenced for the development of technological universities in Budget 2017. Additional funding for the development of technological universities has also been secured in Budget 2018
I announced on 16 October a significant capital investment programme in Institutes of Technology, to be delivered by Public Private Partnership (PPP). I am pleased that major new buildings in both WIT and IT Carlow will be included as part of this Programme. The WIT proposal relates to the construction of a new engineering, computing and general teaching building. The IT Carlow proposal relates to the construction of a new science building. Both projects will be the subject of ongoing technical appraisal and economic analysis to ensure value for money is achieved.
I am confident that these new buildings will greatly enhance the physical infrastructure available to the Institutions in areas of key skills needs, and will support their joint bid for Technological University designation.
My Department is also supportive of the proposed acquisition by IT Carlow of a site in Wexford for development of a new purpose-built campus. Funding has been allocated to enable IT Carlow to acquire this site.
103. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which implementation of the national guidelines on promoting positive mental health and suicide prevention in post-primary schools will be achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45525/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Education and Skills supports a comprehensive and whole-school approach in schools to well-being promotion and positive mental health focusing on the entire school community, as well as groups and individual young people with identified need. This spans the curriculum in schools, whole-school ethos, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, student support and pastoral care, guidance counselling and the provision of professional development for teachers. It also involves accessing other supports such as educational psychology services. Additionally, schools engage in a wide range of sport and cultural activities which provide an important opportunity for students to experience success and personal growth. The whole staff shares responsibility for general student well-being.
The Well-being in Post Primary Schools Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention (2013) provides a framework for schools to present in an integrated way the existing elements of good practice to promote social and emotional learning, and mental health and direct them to new practices as appropriate. They provide clear information for schools and for agencies supporting schools on how to address issues of social and emotional learning. The Guidelines outline how schools support young people through early intervention and prevention, modelled on the NEPS Continuum of Support tiered approach.
The key messages in the Guidelines are that:
- Schools play a vital role in providing a protective environment for young people which can counter risk factors.
- Having a whole school approach which fosters important links with the wider school community, and agencies which support schools, is key to successful implementation of the Guidelines
The Guidelines build on the significant work already taking place in schools, including through the systematic implementation of 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 DES support services and other external agencies and support services.
As stated the Guidelines form a framework within which a broad range of existing processes and practices can be rationalised within schools. Support for the school community in this regard is provided by a number of sources within my Department including the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) and the Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT).
Within my Department’s Action Plan for Education in 2016/19 mental health and well-being is afforded a high priority and is one of the key goals. The actions relating to well-being and mental health include supporting schools to implement the national Well-being in Post Primary Schools Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention (2013) through:
- Introduction of a well-being programme at Junior Cycle: Guidelines on Well-being in Junior Cycle have been developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to support the Framework for Junior Cycle 2015. Introduction of the well-being guidelines to post primary schools was initiated in September 2017.
- Increasing the capacity of NEPS : an enhanced educational psychological service to schools, through the appointment of an additional 10 educational psychologists. The focus of this additional support, in the context of post-primary schools, is on extending the delivery of training to teachers in DEIS schools in the Friends programmes. This programme, when delivered by trained teachers, reduces anxiety and promotes coping, resilience and school-connectedness in children and young people.
In addition psychologists provide support to schools in implementing Student Support Teams in Post Primary Schools (2014) and Responding to Critical incidents Guidelines and Resource Materials for schools (2016).
- Enhancing Guidance Counselling Provision at post-primary level: Recent budgets saw improvements in guidance allocation to schools, with Budgets 2016 and 2017 together seeing the allocation of the equivalent of 400 guidance posts, following budget measures in 2012 which removed the ex-quota provision for guidance posts (which amounted to some 600 posts). The 400 guidance posts which have now been restored will be allocated separately and transparently and once again
A Well-being Steering Committee , within my Department, continues to examine issues in relation to the co-ordination and aligning of the range of supports provided to both primary and post-primary schools in regard to well-being and mental health promotion.
Finding new ways of tackling policy issues that are not the sole responsibility of any one Government Department or Agency has been prioritised by Government. Youth mental health and suicide prevention is one of three Pathfinder projects under Action 5 of the Civil Service Renewal Plan (2014) and agreed by the Civil Service Management Board. This Pathfinder Youth Mental Health Project is an initiative to innovate and improve whole-of-Government working on cross-cutting policy issues and improve the delivery of shared whole-of-Government projects to strengthen the prioritisation, management and accountability of cross-cutting projects that involve multiple Departments, Offices and Agencies and ensure that policies that are not the priority or responsibility of a single body are effectively managed, supported and resourced.
In addition my Department has been involved with the Taskforce on Youth Mental Health as part of the programme for Government and is represented on this Taskforce. One of the challenges of providing a coordinated, streamlined approach to promoting well-being and mental health is of course the fact that there are so many statutory and voluntary agencies/services/NGOs involved. The Task Force was established to produce a series of action focused recommendations to improve youth mental health and well-being. The main areas of focus comprised: emotional literacy and reduction of stigma; awareness of services and supports; accessibility to services and supports across different settings; alignment of services and supports across different providers; and building capacity in local communities. The report has been passed by the Secretary General of the DOH and approved by the Minister. It is intended to submit a memorandum for Government shortly.
104. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has an interest in the site of a school (details supplied); if he envisages future use by his Department for the site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45551/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe property referred to by the Deputy is not in my ownership. However, in common with other buildings of its kind, where significant grant aid is provided by my Department for the development of school premises, investment is secured by way of a long-term legal agreement known as a charging lease. There is a charging lease in place on the property referred to by the Deputy dated 2nd July, 1956 for 99 years, which means I have a vested interest in the property.
In circumstances where a property has ceased to be used as a school, and a request is received to release the State's interest secured under a charging lease, such requests are considered in the context of the specific circumstances which pertain to the individual property. I can confirm that my Department has received a request from the property owners to release my interest in the property. My Department has been in contact with the property owner regarding its future use by Waterford Wexford ETB for educational purposes.
105. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure that in-service training is provided for teachers before the new junior cycle begins (details supplied); if there are issues precluding this training from happening; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45552/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) support service was established in July 2013 by my Department to support schools in implementing the Framework for Junior Cycle.
In general, continuing professional development (CPD) commences for each junior cycle subject the year before the new subject specification is introduced into schools, so that teachers are provided with the resources and supports necessary to ensure that their students have a successful experience with Junior Cycle. Teachers are provided with further CPD in the years following the introduction of the subject specification.
I am not aware of issues that would preclude the delivery of training as communicated to schools. The number of teachers that have now registered with JCT stands at over 31,000 which reflects the fact that teachers in all post primary schools are now in a position to avail of the training and resources offered by JCT. It is intended that all teachers registered with JCT will be offered CPD during the current school year. There is provision within current arrangements to respond to unforeseen events and schools are kept informed in this regard.
A comprehensive programme of CPD will be delivered to teachers during the current school year as follows:
1. Whole-school support and CPD aimed at whole staff in schools.
2. Subject specific CPD in the form of school cluster events. This is where some 6 to 10 schools close to students on the same day and all subject teachers come together in host schools for training purposes. Each cluster this year will involve some 14/15 subject specific CPD workshops
3. Level 2 Learning Programme (L2LP) CPD workshops are provided for mainstream school teachers via the school cluster CPD events. L2LP CPD is also provided in the special school sector upon request. An L2LP workshop aimed specifically at school leaders was provided in various locations nationwide during Sept 2017.
4. Dedicated CPD workshops are provided in education centres nationwide for school leaders, one in the autumn and one in the spring.
5. JCT has a strong online and social media presence. Live webinars are set to be broadcast across all subject areas in the coming year.
