Written Answers Nos. 148-158
148. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide further information on his announcement on 13 April 2018 of a new 16 classroom primary school for Carrigaline by 2020; if this is in addition to primary schools in the area; if there is a site proposed for the new school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17222/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, I recently announced the opening of 42 new schools over the next 4 years. This announcement followed nationwide demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the current and future need for primary and post-primary school places across the country.
The announcement included provision for a new 16 classroom primary school to serve Carrigaline to open in September 2020. This is in addition to existing primary school provision in the area.
Following on from the announcement, the locations for all of the schools, including the new primary school announced to serve Carrigaline, will be determined as part of the site process. Decisions will then be made in relation to appropriate sites for all the schools announced and will be confirmed at a later date.
149. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) will continue to be funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17223/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra150. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills the correspondence he has had with a school (details supplied) in relation to funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17224/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra155. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the decision to withdraw funding from a school (details supplied) which will effectively close the school entirely in June 2018 will be postponed; if the school will be phased out over a two year period to allow the older students from the Traveller community to complete the leaving certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17250/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 149, 150 and 155 together.
Education provision on an inclusive basis is a fundamental principle of our education and training system. Ensuring every child is supported and given the opportunity to reach their full potential is a key priority for this Government and My Department is committed to improving educational outcomes for members of the Traveller and Roma communities.
The details supplied by the Deputies’ relate to a school with Special School designation dating from a period when separate education provision for members of the Traveller community was the norm. The phasing out of segregated education provision for Traveller children began in 2006 in accordance with Government policy which was developed in consultation with Traveller representative groups. St. Thomas’s is currently the only remaining education centre where provision for Traveller students is made on a segregated basis.
My Department has been engaging with the Patron of St. Thomas’s for many years to progress the transfer of its student cohort to the mainstream school system in line with this agreed national policy. It is important to note that, as with all schools under private patronage, the decision in relation to school closure, amalgamation etc. ultimately rests with the Patron.
In order to ensure a smooth and effective transition of provision for students, my officials are engaging with the school Patron and the Educational Welfare Service of Tusla in relation to future education provision for the current student cohort in St. Thomas’s. Tusla’s Educational Welfare Service is available to work with parents to source school places for the current pupil cohort.
151. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the events surrounding the closure of a school (details supplied); if there is provision for payment of outstanding moneys owed to teachers; his plans to regulate these establishments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17240/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Provider in question came to my Department’s attention earlier this year following an inspection by the Department of Justice and Equality related to the listing of its programmes on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP). A listing on the ILEP is required for a provider to enrol students requiring immigration permissions.
On 9th February 2018, following the outturn of this inspection and an assessment of the provider’s non-compliance with the criteria for inclusion on the ILEP, the Department of Justice and Equality in consultation with my Department took the decision to remove this provider’s programmes from the ILEP in line with the established procedures for this process.
The Provider in question has comprehensive learner protection arrangements in place by way of an insurance policy. Arrangements for students affected by the closure are being made under this policy, enabling students to complete their courses with other providers or to be otherwise compensated. The Department of Justice and Equality has engaged with students holding immigration permissions to facilitate the teaching out the programmes concerned.
The ILEP is an interim regulatory tool for student immigration until the introduction of the International Education Mark (IEM). Legislative measures to enable the introduction of the IEM are contained within the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Amendment) Bill. The General Scheme of this Bill was published on 15th May 2017 following its approval by Government and drafting work on this Bill by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel is ongoing. The enactment of this legislation will enable the introduction of the IEM and its operation by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).
152. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he is satisfied that a purpose built school (details supplied) for pupils with a moderate, severe or profound general learning disability, including pupils with autism within these categories, has sufficient access to the NEPS services, including in-services training and school support; the steps he will take to rectify this inequality and ensure that the 15 teachers and 32 SNAs have access and equality to in-service training and school support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17241/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) has not extended service to special schools, including that to which the Deputy refers in his question, who traditionally received multi-disciplinary services, including psychology from HSE services or bodies funded by the HSE.
I can also inform the Deputy that the school in question has been afforded access to the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessment, a panel of Private practitioners maintain and paid for by NEPS providing assessment services to schools. The school has accessed this provision to some small extent over the past number of years.
In-service training for teachers in special schools is provided by the Special Education Support Service (S.E.S.S.) now part of the N.C.S. E. Support Service.
153. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an additional school accommodation application by a school (details supplied); if the project will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17242/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my Department has received an application for additional accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy.
The application is currently under consideration and a decision will be conveyed to the school as soon as this process has been completed.
154. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an Educate Together school will be built in Whitehall, Dublin 9 (details supplied); if so, the timeframe for the building of the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17244/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, on the 30th January, 2017, I announced new plans aimed at providing more multi-denominational and non-denominational schools across the country, in line with the choices of parents, families and school communities and the Programme for Government commitment in this area.
The Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity process will support transfers of schools to multi-denominational patrons in response to the wishes of local families is based around principles of transparency and cooperation.
I would point out that the previous model of divestment yielded only a very limited number of schools for transfer to multi-denominational patrons (10 since 2013). The divestment model does not involve building new schools and requires the availability of school premises vacated, for example, due to amalgamation or closure.
I believe that the new schools reconfiguration for diversity process, which will involve the transfer of live schools, has the potential to significantly increase patron diversity in our school system with a target of reaching 400 multi-denominational and non-denominational schools by 2030. While these new arrangements are being introduced, my Department will continue to work with the main stakeholders to progress delivery of diversity in the areas already identified, of which Whitehall is one.
156. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills the patronage of the 26 new primary and 12 new secondary schools announced recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17259/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, I announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022). This announcement follows nationwide, demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the country and the 4-year horizon will enable increased lead-in times for planning and delivery of the necessary infrastructure.
With regard to demand for particular models of school provision, it should be noted that the patronage process for new schools is a separate process. This process is run after it has been decided that a new school is required. Parental preferences are central to this process. The process is fair, transparent and open to all patrons, patron bodies and prospective patrons to apply for patronage of any planned new school under this process.
The patronage process for new schools is overseen by an external independent advisory group, the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG). Following their consideration of my Department’s assessment reports, the NSEG submits a report with recommendations to me for consideration and final decision. The assessment reports and the NSEG recommendations for all such patronage processes are made available on my Department's website.
157. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to expand to a new shared apprenticeship scheme for the construction sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17308/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraRegistrations on craft apprenticeships have grown strongly in recent years following a very significant collapse in the number of apprenticeship registrations between 2008-2011. SOLAS, in partnership with Construction Industry Federation (CIF) and Waterford Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB), operated a pilot initiative in the last year to test the viability of a shared apprenticeship scheme. Following analysis of the pilot outcomes and in consultation with both the CIF and WWETB, I understand that SOLAS decided not to operationalise the pilot initiative more widely. In particular, it was found that the pilot did not attract employers in sufficient numbers to suggest that the scheme had the potential to have a significant impact on apprenticeship recruitment. I have been informed by SOLAS that they are currently in discussions with representatives from industry to assess how the scheme could be made more viable.
158. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills the participation rate in lifelong learning in each of the years 2014 to 2017 and to date in 2018, based on the latest data available; the EU average rate in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17313/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe lifelong learning target set by the EU as part of ET2020 is based on the number of 25-64 year-olds who had engaged in formal or non-formal learning activities in the previous four weeks. The rates for Ireland and the EU 28 average are outlined in the table below. The latest available data is for 2017 and is provisional (p) only.
Lifelong Learning rate for adults (25-64 years), 2014-2017 (annual averages)
|
- |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
European Union (28) |
10.8 |
10.7 |
10.8 |
10.9 (p) |
|
Ireland |
6.9 |
6.5 |
6.4 |
6.1 (p) |
