Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:161. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of increasing the special rate maintenance grant by amounts (details supplied). [27512/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraStudent Grant Scheme Expenditure
Ceisteanna (161)
Freagraí scríofa
The estimated cost of increasing the special rate maintenance grant by €10, €20, €30, €40 per week would be in the region of €7.9m, €15.7m, €23.5m and €31.4m respectively.
Student Grant Scheme Expenditure
Ceisteanna (162)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:162. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of reversing changes to the distance criterion in the student grant. [27513/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The cost of reversing the change to the distance criterion from the existing 45kms to 24kms, is estimated to be in the region of €26m.
The above costing assumes that a change to the distance criterion would result in a similar percentage of students qualifying for the higher non-adjacent grant support, as existed pre Budget 2011.
Education and Training Boards Funding
Ceisteanna (163)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:163. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the allocation to provide training places for adults with literacy problems and learning difficulties. [27514/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The SOLAS allocation to Education and Training Boards for 2018 for adult literacy and basic skills provision is €32,755,074. A breakdown of this figure is available in the attached spreadsheet.
There is a separate allocation of €45,736,130 for the Specialist Training Provider programme, that includes provision for learners with intellectual disabilities.
|
2018 Initial Allocation |
€ |
|
TOTAL ADULT LITERACY |
26,000,170 |
|
TOTAL ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (ESOL) |
2,341,231 |
|
TOTAL FAMILY LITERACY |
311,909 |
|
TOTAL INTENSIVE TUITION IN ADULT BASIC EDUCATION (ITABE) |
1,569,483 |
|
TOTAL SKILLS FOR WORK (WORKPLACE BASIC EDUCATION FUND) |
2,532,281 |
|
TOTAL |
32,755,074 |
Third Level Costs
Ceisteanna (164)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:164. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of providing 100 higher education places for students of returning emigrants or those who came through the direct provision service. [27515/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The estimated average cost of providing higher education provision is between €10k and €12k per student per annum therefore total cost for 100 places is between €1m and €1.2m.
However, I wish to advise the Deputy that in order to qualify for funding towards tuition fees, students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right, and have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course.
Where undergraduate students do not qualify for free fees they are required to pay fees to their higher education institution at either an ‘EU rate’ or a higher ‘Non-EU rate’.
My Department responded previously to concerns about the impact of the free fees eligibility criteria on individuals who have had, for occupational or economic reasons, to move abroad, requiring them to take their children out of the Irish education system in the process.
To this end, in March 2014 my Department requested that the Higher Education Authority (HEA) advise the higher education sector that full-time undergraduate students who:
- Hold EU/EEA/Swiss nationality but do not meet the residency clause of the Free Fees Initiative; and
- have completed five academic years of study (at either primary or post-primary level) in an EU/EEA/Swiss State; and
- commence their first undergraduate course of study in an approved institution here from the following academic year onwards,
should be charged the EU rate of fee rather than the higher non-EU rate by their higher education institution.
This approach was implemented for new students from the commencement of the 2014/15 academic year.
Student Assistance Fund
Ceisteanna (165)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:165. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to increase the student assistance fund by 20%. [27516/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The SAF is designed to support students in third-level institutions who are experiencing exceptional financial need. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances.
The fund was recently extended to part-time students following the allocation of an additional €1m in Budget 2017.
The Current allocation for SAF amounts to €9.1m therefore an increase of 20% would be estimated at €10.92m, an increase of €1.82m from current allocation.
Fund for Students with Disabilities
Ceisteanna (166)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:166. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of increasing the support scheme for students with disabilities by 20%. [27517/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) provides financial support to higher education institutions to ensure that they are adequately resourced to cater for the needs of students with disabilities.
The Fund provides grants towards the individual needs assessment, provision of services, purchase of equipment and provision of academic supports for students with disabilities. The scheme applies to students who have serious sensory, physical and/or communicative disabilities, including dyslexia.
The current allocation for FSD amounts to €9.6m therefore an increase of 20% would be estimated at €11.52m, an increase of €1.92m from current allocation.
Apprenticeship Programmes
Ceisteanna (167)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:167. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to remove apprenticeship fees. [27518/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
An Annual Student Contribution is levied on all students attending Institutes of Technology (IoTs). Previously this Annual Student Contribution was paid by FÁS/SOLAS with apprentices themselves paying the part of the contribution relating to examination fees. As part of Budget 2014, SOLAS ceased making payments to IoTs and apprentices pay the full pro rata Annual Student Contribution.
The amount charged to apprentices is calculated on a pro rata basis of the time which they spend in IoTs during the academic year. This cost would typically be one third of the Annual Student Contribution paid by students attending for the full academic year, currently €3,000 and would amount to approximately €1,000 per student per period spent in the Institutes of Technology.
The cost of not charging the Annual Student Contribution is estimated to be €4.2 million in 2018, although there are no plans to abolish the Annual Student Contribution for apprentices.
Post-Leaving Certificate Courses Fees
Ceisteanna (168)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:168. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to remove post-leaving certificate course fees. [27519/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The only centrally determined payment for the Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) programme is the €200 PLC participant contribution. This amount is not payable by persons with a medical card, as well as a number of other categories, which means that approximately 60% of PLC participants do not pay the contribution. The estimated cost to remove the PLC participant contribution is in the region of €2.4 million.
It should be noted that PLC colleges are also permitted to charge PLC participants for the following and these charges are set locally -
- Books, uniforms/clothing or other equipment which become the personal property of the participant
- Student Services
- Registration charges by professional bodies
- Examination fees
Third Level Charges
Ceisteanna (169)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:169. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of reducing the student contribution charge by amounts (details supplied). [27520/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Based on the number of students that qualified for free fees funding in the academic year 2016/17, and taking into account overall expected increases in student numbers, it is estimated that the net cost to my Department of reducing the Student Contribution is as follows:
|
Reduce by (per student) € |
Estimated Net cost to Department € |
|
€250 |
€17m |
|
€500 |
€34m |
|
€1,000 |
€67.5m |
|
€2,000 |
€135m |
|
€3,000 |
€202.5m |
It should be noted that the figures presented incorporate the resulting reduction to my Department's Student Grant Scheme budget.
While the student contribution now stands at €3,000, it is important to recognise that there has been no increase in the student contribution charge since 2014/15. The exchequer pays this contribution (or part of it) on behalf of almost 50% of undergraduate students who are in receipt of student grant assistance.
Tax relief provisions are also available so that second and subsequent siblings do not have to bear the full cost. In addition, higher education institutions have provisions in place to allow students to pay the contribution in two moieties.
Legislative Measures
Ceisteanna (170)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:170. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to implement the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 in full. [27521/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
A number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 have been commenced, including those establishing the National Council for Special Education and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children.
A number of sections of the EPSEN Act have yet to be commenced.
Legal advice provided to my Department indicates that the EPSEN Act, as it is currently constituted, may not be implemented on a phased, or age cohort, basis.
A total current estimate of the cost to implement the EPSEN Act in full has not recently been conducted.
The Government is committed to helping every child, particularly those with special educational needs, to fulfil their potential.
In 2018, my Department will invest over €1.75 billion in this area - 1/5 of my Department's budget and up 42% since 2011, at which point €1.24 billon was invested. This increased investment has allowed the Government to increase the number of:
- SNAs by 42%, from 10,575 in 2011 to 15,000 by the end of 2018.
- Special classes by 138% to over 1,300 at present, compared to 548 special classes in 2011.
- Special education teachers by 38% from 9,630 in 2011 to over 13,300 at present in 2018.
Under the Programme for a Partnership Government, I have committed to consulting with stakeholders on how best to progress aspects of the Act on a non-statutory basis.
A range of consultations with Education Partners and Stakeholders took place in relation to the development of the new model for allocating special education teachers over the course of 2017. The new model was introduced for all schools from September 2017.
Further consultations are taking place with education partners and stakeholders in the context of the undertaking of a comprehensive review of the SNA scheme. The new model substantially improves access to teaching support for children who have special educational needs without the need for diagnosis. It was introduced on a non-statutory basis, however it constitutes a better and fairer way of supporting children as it provides for supports on a needs basis as opposed to only for those with an assessment.
At present, all schools are encouraged to use Education Plans. My Department's Inspectorate's advice is that the majority of schools are now using some form of individual education planning for children with special needs. In line with Circular 30/2014, schools are also required to put in place Personal Pupil Plans including a care plan for all pupils availing of SNA support.
Guidelines for schools on educational planning and monitoring of outcomes and the manner in which they should conduct educational planning, through the Student Support File, are contained in the Guidelines for Schools: Supporting Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools, available at http://www.education.ie/en/The-Education-System/Special-Education/Guidelines-for-Primary-Schools-Supporting-Pupils-with-Special-Educational-Needs-in-Mainstream-Schools.pdf.
Providing power 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.
While awaiting the full implementation of the EPSEN Act, the NCSE has published a number of policy advice papers which make recommendations aimed at developing a better or more effective alternative to the current resource allocation model, and which aims to move the system towards ultimate implementation of the EPSEN Act.
These reports include the NCSE policy advice on Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools, published in 2013, the Report of the Working Group on a Proposed New Model for Allocating Teaching Resources for pupils with Special Educational Needs, published in 2014 and more recently the Report on the Comprehensive Review of the SNA Scheme.
The new model for allocating additional teaching supports to students with special educational needs has been implemented from September 2017. Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and Circular 0014/2017 for post primary schools which were published on 7th March 2017 set out the details of the new model for allocating special education teachers to schools.
The revised allocation model replaces the generalised allocation process at primary and post primary school level for learning support and high incidence special educational needs, and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocation process which provided additional resource teaching supports to schools, to support pupils assessed as having Low Incidence disabilities.
The Guidelines for Schools: Supporting Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools also provides guidance on the organisation, deployment and use of their special education teachers. One of the benefits of this new approach is that schools will have greater flexibility as to how they will deploy their resources.
The Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme which was published by the NCSE on 30 May 2018 set out to ensure that the Scheme is achieving the best outcomes possible for children with special educational needs. Of the 13 recommendations, one of these recommendations is the development of a frontloaded model for allocating supports to schools for children with special educational needs who have additional care needs.
My Department is developing proposals to implement the recommendations of the Review. This will involve substantial engagement with key Departments and agencies as well as consultation with Education and Health Partners, Parent representatives and other stakeholders and developing proposals for early action on developing, on a pilot basis, a new allocation model and a national training programme.
It is therefore intended to bring into effect many of the good ideas contained in the EPSEN Act, on a non-statutory basis initially, through policy developments across a range of areas, in conjunction with NCSE policy advice.
Speech and Language Therapy
Ceisteanna (171)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:171. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the detail of the new pilot scheme for in-school speech and language therapists; the number of schools involved; the demographic of the schools; the number of therapists employed under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27522/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I recently announced that a demonstration project to provide in-school and pre-school therapy services will be introduced for the 2018/19 school year.
The project will be managed and co-ordinated by the National Council for Special Education.
The model has been developed by the Departments of Education, Children and Youth Affairs, Health, and the Health Service Executive, and is part of the Government’s overall aim to help every child to fulfil their full potential.
The purpose of the project is to test a model of tailored therapeutic supports that allows for early intervention in terms of providing speech and language and occupational therapy within ‘educational settings’. This innovative pilot will complement existing HSE funded provision of essential therapy services.
76 schools, including a representative sample of primary, post primary, and special schools will take part in the project.
This will include:
- Schools with significant levels of educational disadvantage.
- A mixture of urban, large, and small schools.
- Schools with high levels of support needs as identified under the new special education teaching allocation model.
- Mainstream schools which have special classes
- Special schools with significant levels of therapy support needs.
Pre-school settings associated with primary schools participating in the project are being included in order to provide for therapy interventions to be made at the earliest possible time and to create linkages between pre-school and primary school provision. 75 pre-schools will also participate giving 151 settings.
The project is taking place in Community Healthcare Organisation 7 Region of South West Dublin, Kildare and West Wicklow and the schools selected will therefore be from this region.
As part of the programme, 19 speech and language therapists and 12 Occupational Therapists are being recruited by the HSE to work with the 151 schools and pre-schools. The NCSE will also recruit 2 National Co-ordinators to manage the project.
The project aims to develop a more cohesive, collaborative approach to delivering supports to children in our schools by allowing therapists and educational professionals to work together in schools.
Capitation Grants
Ceisteanna (172)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:172. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of each one point increase in capitation grant for primary schools. [27525/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The estimated full year cost of increasing the rate of capitation by 1% in primary schools is circa €1m.
I recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years.
Restoring capitation funding as resources permit is one of the actions included in the Action Plan for Education.
Budget 2018 marked the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan for Education, which has the central aim to make the Irish Education and Training service the best in Europe within a decade. In 2018, the budget for the Department of Education increased by €554 million to over €10 billion. Through budget 2017 and Budget 2018, we are now investing €1 billion more in education.
The process is underway for restoring grant funding that is used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff. The ancillary grant was increased by €6 in 2016, €5 in 2017 and €5 in 2018, in order to enable primary schools to implement the arbitration salary increase for grant funded school secretaries and caretakers and to also implement the restoration of salary for cleaners arising from the unwinding of FEMPI legislation.
Capitation Grants
Ceisteanna (173)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:173. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of each one point increase in capitation grant for post-primary schools. [27526/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The estimated full year cost of increasing the rate of capitation by 1% in post-primary schools is circa €1m.
I recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years.
Restoring capitation funding as resources permit is one of the actions included in the Action Plan for Education.
Budget 2018 marked the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan for Education, which has the central aim to make the Irish Education and Training service the best in Europe within a decade. In 2018, the budget for the Department of Education increased by €554 million to over €10 billion. Through budget 2017 and Budget 2018, we are now investing €1 billion more in education.
The process is underway for restoring grant funding that is used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff. The ancillary grant was increased by €6 in 2016, €5 in 2017 and €5 in 2018, in order to enable primary schools to implement the arbitration salary increase for grant funded school secretaries and caretakers and to also implement the restoration of salary for cleaners arising from the unwinding of FEMPI legislation.
School Transport Expenditure
Ceisteanna (174)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:174. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to restore school transport to the same level of funding per capita as 2008. [27527/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
Currently over 116,000 children, including over 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually at a total cost of almost €190 million in 2017.
Changes to the School Transport Scheme introduced in Budget 2011, derived from recommendations in the Value for Money Review of the Scheme and encompassed a number of elements such as:-
- national application of the distance rule of 3.2 kilometres at primary level;
- the cessation of the Closed/Central School Rule at primary level;
- the cessation of catchment boundary area to determine eligibility at post primary level and;
- an increase from seven to 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality to retain or establish a school transport service and the introduction of charges at primary level.
Given that school transport is a demand led service it is difficult to cost school transport services on the basis of restoring the Scheme to the criteria that existed pre 2011. However, in general the unit cost for transporting mainstream children is some €1,000 per annum, while the unit cost for transporting children with special educational needs is €7,000 or €9,000 when the provision of escorts are included.
The terms of the School Transport Schemes are applied equitably on a national basis.
Modern Language Teaching
Ceisteanna (175)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:175. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the allocation made to the modern languages in primary schools programme in the last year of its existence. [27528/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative (MLPSI) was introduced in September 1998. It involved the introduction of Italian, Spanish, German and French for 5th and 6th classes. The MLPSI was a pilot scheme across 550 schools with an annual budget of approximately €2.5m.
A 2008 Report by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment recommended against a further expansion of the MLPSI, citing issues of curriculum overload and difficulties relating to the replicability of the model across the system. The ultimate decision to end the MLPSI was taken in the context of a very challenging budgetary environment where difficult decisions had to be taken.
Consideration will be given to the issue of language learning at primary level in the context of the review of the time and structure of the primary curriculum currently being carried out by the NCCA. The priority at primary level is to provide high-quality language learning in our two languages, Irish and English. A new Primary Language Curriculum, incorporating Irish and English, was introduced in classes from Junior Infants to 2nd class from September 2016. This curriculum aims to ensure that students acquire transferrable language skills which will assist them in learning Irish and English and additional languages at second level. Work is currently underway in developing the Primary Language Curriculum for third to sixth class, with a draft curriculum being available on the NCCA’s website.
Last December, my Department published Languages Connect – Ireland’s Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017-2026. As part of the Strategy, content language integrated learning (CLIL) will be progressively introduced for Irish in English medium schools. Additionally, the presence of heritage languages in our primary schools will be acknowledged in the implementation of the Primary Language Curriculum.
Schools Healthy Living Strategies
Ceisteanna (176)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:176. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the annual cost of the active schools flag initiative. [27529/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Active School Flag (ASF) is a Department initiative where schools are recognised for striving to achieve a physically educated and physically active school community.
My Department allocated €175,000 for the initiative in both 2016 and 2017. The budget allocation for 2018 is currently being considered.
In addition to this, Healthy Ireland, which is a Department of Health initiative, granted €213,290 to ASF for the period September 2017 to March 2018. An application for increased support for the ASF from the 2018 Healthy Ireland Fund has been submitted and is currently under consideration.
Pupil-Teacher Ratio
Ceisteanna (177)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:177. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of each one point reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level. [27530/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department 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 schedule also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board.
The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location.
Budget 2018 includes a further one point improvement in the staffing schedule in primary schools which brings the position to the most favourable ever seen at primary level. This measure will further assist all schools at the upper end of their individual respective bands. This budget measure delivers on a commitment made in the Confidence and Supply Agreement and Programme for Government to reduce primary schools class size.
These changes will come into effect in September 2018 for the 2018/19 school year.
Each 1 point adjustment to the primary staffing schedule is estimated to cost in the region of €16.5m per annum.
Schools Administration
Ceisteanna (178)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:178. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of providing one release day per week for teaching principals for schools by numbers attending (details supplied). [27531/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The criteria for the appointment of an administrative principal to a school, which are enrolment related, are set out in Appendix B of Circular 0010/2018. The enrolment required for administrative principal in ordinary schools, and gaelscoileanna and schools in the Gaeltacht is 176 pupils, or 113 if operating a specialist autism unit.
Schools that do not meet these criteria have teaching principals. Recently published Circular 40/2018 is available on the Department’s website and outlines the number of days that teaching principals may take as release time in a school year in order to assist them fulfilling their principal duties. Under these arrangements my Department pays for a substitute teacher to be employed by a school to facilitate administrative functions to be undertaken by the teaching principal.
Building on measures in previous budgets to enhance school leadership, Budget 2018 made €0.4 million available to fund almost 4600 additional release days for teaching principals in primary schools. This additional funding will see an increase in the number of release days available to teaching principals in the 2018/19 school year to 17, 23 or 29 days depending on the size of the school.
I recently announced an extension to the arrangements for schools with teaching principals to cluster their release days into full-time posts, with one teacher covering the release days of all the schools in the cluster. Up to 50 principal release cluster posts will be put in place for the 2018/19 school year. This measure will assist teaching principals to more effectively plan their release days for the benefit of the school.
The Teacher Allocation section of my Department are currently processing these applications and schools are being notified as the cluster posts are approved.
Any additional increase in the number of release days will be considered as part of the next annual budgetary process alongside the many other demands from the education sector.
Enabling teaching principals to have one release day per week would cost approximately €12 million per annum.
School Staff
Ceisteanna (179)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:179. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to reverse staffing cuts to small schools with fewer than 86 pupils to 2011 and 2012 levels. [27533/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Budget 2018 marked the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan for Education, which has the central aim to make the Irish Education and training service the best in Europe within a decade.
Budget 2018 provides for an additional 1280 teaching posts in the 2018/19 school year. This includes a one point improvement in the staffing schedule in primary schools which brings the position to the most favourable ever seen at primary level.
These changes will come into effect in September 2018 for the 2018/19 school year.
The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually on the website of the Department of Education and Skills. 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 schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location.
Following a review of the staffing allocation for Small Primary Schools, Budget 2017 announced two adjustments in relation to one teacher schools. Where the school is the sole primary school on an island the school will be able to appoint a second teacher. In relation to single teacher schools generally with an enrolment of 15 or more pupils the school can apply to the staffing appeal board for a second post where the single teacher has children across 6 or more class groups. The detailed arrangements have been set out in the staffing schedule circular for the 2017/18 school year.
The cost of restoring the 2011/12 staffing schedule for small schools would be approximately €5m.
DEIS Scheme
Ceisteanna (180)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:180. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to restore the rural co-ordinator service under the home school liaison service. [27534/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Deputy is aware the DEIS Rural Coordination Service was discontinued with effect from 31 August 2011. At that time there were 46 Rural Coordinator Posts at a cost of €2,714,000.
The impact of socio-economic factors on educational outcomes can be different between urban and rural settings and we need to take account of that. Evidence strongly suggests that disadvantage associated with rural poverty does not have the same impact on educational achievement as is the case in the urban context. While urban and rural disadvantage share many characteristics, such as poverty, unemployment and poor housing conditions, as such disadvantage in a rural context does not have the same impact on educational performance. The Performance Report from the National Assessments of English Reading and Mathematics (NAERM), 2014 highlighted the gap that exists between DEIS urban Band 1 schools and pupils in other schools in both reading and maths. Performance in rural DEIS schools is about the same as the national average, while performance in DEIS Band 2 primary schools has improved substantially according to the 2014 National Assessments. Assessments of reading and mathematics performance in DEIS rural primary schools show that students in these schools in some cases perform better than rural non-DEIS schools and at the same level as their counterparts in urban non-DEIS schools.
My Department's objective in implementing DEIS Plan 2017 is to have the maximum possible impact on providing opportunities for students most at risk of disadvantage. To achieve this, additional resources must be targeted as closely as possible at those students with the greatest need in terms of concentrated levels of disadvantage. Accordingly, DEIS Plan 2017 does not include a measure to restore the rural coordinator service.
The Deputy may wish to note that Rural DEIS primary schools continue to be supported through the DEIS programme with a range of additional supports, including grant aid in the form of a DEIS grant, enhanced book grant, access to the DEASP School Meals Programme and priority access for teachers to a range of professional development programmes as well as the Incredible Years and Friends programmes.