Written Answers Nos. 107-119
109. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of two new schools (details supplied) due to open within the next 18 months, particularly with regard to the securing of sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18123/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware my Department is working to acquire an identified site within the Goatstown Stillorgan School Planning Area for the purpose of providing school accommodation.
It is intended that the site in question will facilitate the provision of permanent accommodation for both the new schools to which the Deputy refers, subject to the views of the Planning Authority.
Pending delivery of its permanent accommodation the primary school will open in suitable interim accommodation in September 2019. The Department has applied for planning permission to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to use a building on Ballymoss Road, Sandyford Business Park as the interim location for the school. A response to a request for further information was submitted by the Department on 22/03/2019 to the Council. A decision on the planning application is awaited.
110. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the lack of resources made available to second level schools that have teachers out on long-term sick leave; his plans to address the shortfall in substitute teachers for second level schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18174/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraManagement bodies and schools have, in recent years, reported difficulties in recruiting teachers. At primary level this relates mainly to the recruitment of substitute teachers and at post primary to the recruitment of teachers of particular subjects such as STEM, modern foreign languages, Irish and Home Economics.
In response to these difficulties, the Teacher Supply Steering Group, which is chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, was established in March 2018.
The Steering Group is considering the issues that relate to teacher supply under four policy headings: initial teacher education policy, provision, funding and support; data/research requirements; policies and arrangements for schools and teachers that impact on teacher mobility/supply; and promotion of the teaching profession.
The Steering Group is overseeing the Action Plan for Teacher Supply, which I published in November 2018 with twenty-two actions in the four policy areas. It is supported in its work by the Teacher Supply Implementation Group and a number of working groups that are looking at specific policy areas.
A number of specific measures are being taken to increase the pool of available substitute teachers. These include:
- For the 2018/19 school year, the restrictions on the number of days that teachers on career break may be employed were suspended.
- Retiring teachers were given information that in order to remain eligible for employment in a state funded teaching post for a period of more than five consecutive days, they must maintain registration with the Teaching Council.
- My Department is considering the removal of the restriction on job-sharing teachers undertaking substitute work.
- An online substitute teacher recruitment portal is being developed. It is intended that the portal will be in place for the next school year.
Other actions that have been progressed to address challenges in Teacher Supply include:
- My Department published Circular 0015/2019 with details of a new teacher sharing scheme for post-primary schools, commencing in the 2019/20 school year.
- Following engagement with the HEA, a number of HEIs will provide new post primary initial teacher education (ITE) undergraduate programmes in 2019 in priority subject areas, including mathematics, modern foreign languages and Irish. The HEIs also plan to commence more new undergraduate ITE programmes in 2020.
- The HEA is engaging with HEIs to explore the development of programmes to upskill existing teachers in targeted post primary subject areas and to examine the potential for flexible ITE programmes.
- The Teaching Council, at the request of my Department, is reviewing the implementation of school placement guidelines for student teachers, with a particular focus on school/HEI partnerships.
- The Teaching Council is developing more streamlined processes for the registration of teachers qualified in jurisdictions outside the State.
- In the current academic year, an additional €1m has been allocated to the Student Assistance Fund for Professional Master of Education (PME) students, increasing the overall fund to €10.1m.
- In December 2018 a national campaign for the promotion of the teaching profession was launched across a number of platforms, including radio and digital media. The campaign is supported by a new webpage providing information about teaching as a career (www.gov.ie/teachingtransforms).
In addition, following from the implementation of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education:
- An Irish-medium Masters in Education for primary and post-primary teachers, including principals, commenced in September 2018 in Mary Immaculate College.
- The number of places on the Irish medium post primary postgraduate ITE programme in NUIG (Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas, MGO) was increased from 2018/19.
The Steering Group and the various working groups reporting to it continue to meet on a regular basis and I hope to be in a position to announce further developments in this area over the coming months.
111. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to fill a vacancy on the National Council for Special Education (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the backlog the vacancy is causing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18175/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for fulfilling the functions of the NCSE Council within a designated area in relation to the identification of and delivery and co-ordination of education services to children with disabilities.
The NCSE employs SENOs to provide a nationwide system of local services. Each SENO has responsibility for specific schools, primary, post primary and special, within their area. In general, the role of the SENO ensures that a child with special educational needs receives the supports they are entitled to.
SENOs are available to advise parents in relation to supports which may be available to support children with special educational needs. The local SENO contact details are available on the NCSE’s website at: http://ncse.ie/seno-contact-list.
In 2017, the Special Education Support Service (SESS), the National Behavioural Support Service (NBSS) and the Visiting Teacher Service for Children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Children who are Blind/Visually Impaired (VTHVI) transferred from my Department to the NCSE and joined with the services already being provided by NCSE’s SENOs and administrative staff to form a new NCSE Support Service. This new service, which significantly increases the NCSE's support service by over 100, not only expanded the supports NCSE provide in terms of additional teaching and behavioural supports to schools and families but NCSE now provides professional development opportunities to teachers and schools to build their capacity to support students with special educational needs.
The aim of this new Support Service to develop schools’ capacity to include students with special educational needs and to promote a continuum of educational provision which is inclusive and responsive.
The matter raised by the Deputy in relation filling of a vacancy within the NCSE has been referred to the NCSE for direct reply. My Department has no role in the matter.
112. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps taken to amend legislation as promised in the programme for a partnership Government to give authority to An Comhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta to employ its own staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18180/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022 states that "arrangements will be put in place, subject to the approval of the Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, to amend the authority of COGG on a statutory basis so that it is enabled to recruit staff".
An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) was established on an administrative basis under Section 31 of the Education Act 1998. The Department has no plans at present to amend Section 31 of the Act.
The Department ensures that COGG has the capacity and resources in terms of accommodation and staff with relevant educational experience to execute this co-ordination role in addition to its current responsibilities.
COGG’s current staff compliment comprises 4 administrative staff, including the CEO, who are Civil Servants seconded from the Department of Education and Skills and 5 Public Servants (teachers) seconded in. COGG also has access to temporary contract staff as the need arises.
If COGG was established on a statutory basis as a Civil Service body, additional resources would be required to pay for corporate services provision such as HR and Payroll. These services are currently provided free of charge to COGG by the Department and the NCCA. An additional cost for independent services is not commensurate with the size of the organisation or with value for money principles. Furthermore the secondment of teachers to support the delivery of functions is a standard practice across a wide range of the Department’s bodies.
113. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider the proposal to amend the leaving certificate examination grading system to award bonus points to students who study the T1 specification for leaving certificate in order to encourage students to choose this specification in view of the fact that there is no advantage to the students to do the T1 specification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18181/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraMatters in relation to the development and implementation of new specifications for Leaving Certificate Irish are being considered by my Department and relevant agencies. This includes the matter of measures to encourage students in Gaeltacht and Irish-medium schools to undertake the L1 specification for Leaving Certificate as is set out in the Gaeltacht Education Policy.
These matters are also being considered in the broader context of the review of Senior Cycle which is currently underway by the National Council for Currriculum and Assessment.
114. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider the proposal to amend the leaving certificate examinations grading system in order that T1 leaving certificate specification be made available for students in schools that do not function through the medium of Irish in circumstances in which some students in an English speaking school may use Irish as their primary language in the home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18182/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraMatters in relation to the development and implementation of new specifications for Leaving Certificate Irish are being considered by my Department and relevant agencies. This includes the approach to implementation of the specifications in Irish-medium post-primary schools and in English-medium post-primary schools.
These matters are also being considered in the broader context of the review of Senior Cycle which is currently underway by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.
115. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason An Comhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta does not have support and administration services provided to it through the medium of Irish from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18183/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn accordance with Section 31 (7) of the Education Act 1998, my Department provides An Comhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta with four full time officials who deliver secretarial and administrative services through the medium of Irish.
116. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when approval will be granted for a school (details supplied) to proceed to pre-qualification of contractors for the tender stage; the reason for the delay in proceeding to this stage to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18185/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra117. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a new school project (details supplied) will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18186/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 117 together.
The major building project for the school referred to by the deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2b (Detailed Design). The Stage 2(b) submission has been reviewed by my Department and comments have issued to the school and its Design Team.
The Design Team is currently working on a submission to my Department outlining the steps required to achieve compliance with Part L of the Building Regulations 2017 (NZEB "Near Zero Energy Building"). This is a new requirement arising from the introduction of Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Energy) of the Building Regulations to ensure compliance with the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).
When the NZEB submission has been received my Department at that point will consider authorising this project to commence the pre-qualification process to create a shortlist of contractors to which the project will be tendered.
118. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the pre-qualification of contractors procedures is being revised; if so, when new guidelines will be in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18187/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe review of pre-qualification documentation is currently nearing completion and new guidelines will be available shortly.
119. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) was refused an exemption in Irish for secondary school; and if he will review this decision. [18197/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraExemptions from the study of Irish are granted in accordance with the provisions of Departmental Circular 12/96 for primary schools. The criteria provides that exemptions may be granted by school authorities for certain categories of students with special educational needs as set out in this Circular. If a school's decision to refuse an application for an exemption is queried, it is open to either the school or the parent/guardian to seek advice from my Department as to the application of the criteria for an exemption to a particular case.
Officials from my Department will contact the Deputy with details of how a request for advice in respect of the Irish exemption circulars may be processed.
