Written Answers Nos. 514-533
514. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the discrepancy between repeat exam fees in different higher education institutions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18812/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are governed by the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technologies Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Within the meaning of these Acts, HEIs are autonomous with regard to the management of their academic affairs and retain the right to determine their own policies and procedures in this area. In relation to fees the student contribution charge covers the cost of elements such as student registration, admissions and examination fees. However, repeat examination fees are charged separately being set by the individual HEI concerned and the Minister does not have a function in this regard.
515. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which the proposed devices fund will be administered; if it is to be administered at a local level; if so, the additional staffing levels which will be put in place to do so; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18813/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science recently secured Cabinet approval for a substantial package of supports for third level institutions and students. The distribution of the funds and the principles and eligibility criteria governing the additional supports for students including in relation to access to devices will be finalised over the coming days and weeks with key stakeholders.
516. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills if requirements for social distancing will be universally applied across higher education institution campuses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18814/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra517. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there has been engagement with the unions on social distancing requirements across higher education institution campuses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18815/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra520. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has engaged with higher education institutions on library access for students under social distancing requirements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18818/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 516, 517 and 520 together.
On 22 July I published a three-pillar series of guides for returning to on-site learning in 2020/2021 which consisted of
- A high level Further and Higher Education Roadmap, which provides an overview of the phased return across further and higher education;
- A Covid-19 Adaptation framework which provides a structure, guidance and support for further and higher education institutions and providers and;
- Practical Guidance for Further and Higher Education for Returning to On-site Activity.
These documents can all be found online at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/fc7a0-guidance-for-further-and-higher-education-for-returning-to-on-site-activity-in-2020-roadmap-and-covid-19-adaptation-framework.
This three-pillar approach was prepared on a consultative basis with sectoral stakeholders, including unions, and with the assistance of public health expertise available to my Department.
Ultimately Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous institutions and are entitled to regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes. Decisions on how courses and campus services will operate will be made by each institution, in line with public health advice, and arrangements will vary between institutions and between courses. These arrangements will depend on factors such as the teaching and learning needs of various disciplines, the size of student and learner groups and the practical/theoretical balance of learning outcomes of various programmes.
The HEIs will communicate the arrangements for the new academic year to students as soon as these arrangements have been finalised. Questions on arrangements for a specific institution or course should be directed to the institution in question.
518. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will revert SUSI adjacency grants to pre-2011 levels to take account of students that will remain living at home due to Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18816/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe student maintenance grant is a contribution towards the living costs of a student. It is not intended to cover the full costs of attending college. The student grant scheme does however, provide for different levels of maintenance support, depending on means. Grants are also provided at adjacent and non-adjacent rates. The higher non-adjacent rates are intended to provide additional support to those students who may be living away from home.
Budget 2011 provided for a number of student grant measures which came into effect for the 2011/12 academic year, including the change in the assessment of the qualifying distance criterion for the non-adjacent rate of grant from 24 kilometres to 45 kilometres.
The 24km distance criterion was originally set in 1968 and had not been updated in more than 40 years. Since then, significant improvements have taken place in the road and rail network and it is considered that the revised distance criteria is more consistent with the type of distances that students may legitimately be expected to commute to college.
The current qualifying distance of 45km for the higher non-adjacent rate of student grant takes into account a reasonable radius within which students may commute on a daily basis.
There are no plans at present to change the current arrangements.
The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) provides financial assistance to students experiencing financial difficulties while attending third level. Students can be assisted towards the rent, childcare costs, transport costs and books/class materials. The total allocation for the SAF is €9.1 million which includes an additional €1 million added to the Fund in 2017 for part-time students who are lone-parents or members of the other access target groups. Prior to that the fund supported full-time students only. In December 2018 a further €1 million was added to the Fund for students attending Professional Masters of Education courses, who are experiencing financial difficulty. This funding continued into 2019 and 2020. Institutions have the autonomy to maximise the flexibility in the Student Assistance Fund to enable HEIs to support students during the Covid-19 situation.
In addition, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from a student’s local Tax Office or from the Revenue Commissioners website, www.revenue.ie
519. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills if PPE will be provided to staff across the higher education institutions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18817/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 22 July I published a three-pillar series of guides for returning to on-site learning in 2020/2021 which consisted of
- A high level Further and Higher Education Roadmap, which provides an overview of the phased return across further and higher education;
- A Covid-19 Adaptation framework which provides a structure, guidance and support for further and higher education institutions and providers and;
- Practical Guidance for Further and Higher Education for Returning to On-site Activity.
These documents can all be found online at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/fc7a0-guidance-for-further-and-higher-education-for-returning-to-on-site-activity-in-2020-roadmap-and-covid-19-adaptation-framework.
However the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are governed by the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technologies Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Within the meaning of these acts they are entitled to regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes. Decisions on how courses and campus services will operate, including whether the wearing of PPE will be required in certain circumstances, will be made by each institution, in line with public health advice, and arrangements will vary between institutions and between courses.
Where HEIs need to acquire PPE, the Department of Education is working to put in place a framework of suppliers to provide the necessary PPE for Education Sector bodies and institutions. This is an active procurement which is intended will provide for the PPE necessary to support the reopening and will be capable of being scaled up and down as required to meet changes in demand.
521. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there are proposals to increase postgraduate grants to address the funding gap as outlined in the Programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18819/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra524. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the proposed review of SUSI eligibility as proposed in the Programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18823/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe programme for Government was published last month. It creates a vision for reform and renewal that can help Ireland recover and thrive and sets out a vision for the transformation of our country over the next five years. Our higher and further education sector will play a key role in our recovery. In this regard, it is vital that we invest in our further and higher education sectors and we ensure that access to educational opportunities are available to all members of society.
The eligibility criteria for student grants are reviewed annually by my Department and approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. All proposals made in relation to higher education expenditure, including student grants for the 2021/22 academic year, will be considered in the context of Budget 2021.
However, I would like to re-assure the Deputy that I am conscious of the difficulties being experienced by students and their families as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and of the importance of the Student Grant Scheme and related supports, such as the Student Assistance Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities. These supports have a fundamental role in assisting families who are putting their children through further and higher education.
The Deputy will be aware that I recently secured a financial support package for the further and higher education sector which is aimed at addressed Covid-19 impacts and facilitating the reopening plans for the sector. The support package will provide €168m in supports including €28m in supports for students for IT equipment, access measures and mental health and wellbeing.
522. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills if additional mental health supports are being put in place for 2020 leaving certificate students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18820/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department’s response to support the wellbeing of all within school communities is aligned with HSE guidance. The HSE advises that, in responding to psycho-social needs in the aftermath of an emergency, a graduated four-level model of care is required. This is based on the knowledge that, people are naturally resilient and most will adapt with the provision of basic practical and empathetic supports while acknowledging some groups will need additional and more intensive levels of support.
My Department has worked closely with the Department of Health and the HSE on the In This Together campaign which aims to help everyone in Ireland to Stay Connected, Stay Active, and look after their mental wellbeing throughout the Covid-19 Emergency. The In This Together campaign draws together the huge range of advice and support that is available for people of all ages. To support the wellbeing and mental health of our Leaving Certificate students at this time, a dedicated page on the InThis Together site contains online advice for Leaving Certificate students. This webpage includes a series of supports on managing wellbeing, stress and anxiety, developed by the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of my Department. The webpage also includes links to more individualised support for students to access, should these be needed. It is recognised that some vulnerable groups of students may require a more focused, stepped-up level of intervention and this Department along with the Department of Health and HSE have ensured the most appropriate services and resources are clearly signposted for those students. The stepped care approach recognises that at present, there already exists services that offer online text and telephone supports to people seeking mental health information and advice. These include the Samaritans; Pieta House; MyMind; Turn2Me; Aware; Crisis Text Ireland; Shine; BeLongTo; LGBT Ireland; Jigsaw; Bodywhys and Childline. The YourMentalHealth.ie website provides a ‘one-stop-shop’ portal for people seeking information, supports and services, including information on accessing urgent help and a mental health text messaging support service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days each week to connect people with trained volunteers.
Also to support Leaving Certificate students and their parents the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC), the Irish Second Level Students Union and the National Parents Council together with the Department and other key stakeholders have come together and are collaboratively planning a comprehensive Leaving Certificate Helpline for early September, which will be available on the day the Leaving Certificate results and CAO offers are released and a number of other days that same week. Meetings have been taking place with the stakeholders and plans are well underway. In the coming weeks the operational plans will be confirmed and the Department in conjunction with all the various partners will advertise the Helpline supports and operational times. Unlike previous years, this year schools will be open when the Leaving Certificate results are released, so students will have access to their guidance counsellors and other members of the school’s student support team, which should provide students with additional support if they are anxious or have guidance-related questions.
523. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will amend or review the requirements for mature applicants to third-level colleges living at home with their parents due to lack of affordable housing options being assessed based on their parents’ income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18821/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland).
For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students.
A student may be assessed as an independent student (i.e. assessed without reference to parental income and address) if he/she has attained the age of 23 on 1 January of the year of first entry to an approved course, and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous 1 October. Otherwise, he/she would be assessed as a dependent student, i.e. assessed with reference to parental income and address.
Only in exceptional cases, where compelling evidence of estrangement from parents/guardians is provided, can candidates who are under 23 be assessed without reference to their parents/guardians income or address.
Applicants who do not meet the criteria to be assessed as an independent student for grant purposes, or who cannot supply the necessary documentation to establish independent living for the required period, may still apply to SUSI to have their grant eligibility assessed as a dependent student. The relevant information, including details of parental income, would be required by SUSI to determine grant eligibility as a dependent student.
It is important to note that each year a significant number of student grant applicants are assessed as 'independent' students and awarded student supports on that basis.
There are no plans at present to change these eligibility arrangements.
525. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will increase the fund for students with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18824/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) supports participation by students with a disability in full-time programmes of further and higher education. The FSD is one of the main funding sources supporting participation by students with disabilities in approved further and higher education courses in Ireland. It also supports students from Ireland to study on approved courses in Northern Ireland, the UK and other EU countries. The actual level of support to be provided to individual students is decided by each HEI who carry out a needs assessment to determine the types of supports and accommodations needed. The 2020 allocation to the fund is €9.6m which is expected to support circa 14,000 students.
It is not anticipated that there will be a need to increase the fund in 2020. Should individual institutions experience an increased demand then the HEA can address those demands from within the existing allocation for the FSD. Any proposals for next year will be considered in the context of Budget
2021.
Separately, the Deputy will be aware that I recently secured a financial support package for the further and higher education sector which is aimed at addressing Covid-19 impacts and facilitating the reopening plans for the sector. The support package will provide €168 million in supports including €28 million in supports for students for IT equipment, access measures and mental health and wellbeing. This support package will be used to assist students returning to education, including students with disabilities.
526. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has engaged with an organisation (details supplied) on provisions to provide extensions and supports for researchers whose research was affected by Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18825/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn April 2020, the main research funders issued a joint statement providing guidance for researchers in relation to their funded awards and research during the Covid-19 crisis.
In relation to the organisation in question, it has provided practical guidance on 3 mechanisms that awardees can avail of to extend the duration of their awards: No-Cost Extensions, Budget Reallocations, and Costed Extensions. No-Cost Extensions and Budget Reallocations may be requested on all of its live awards, and these requests are being processed on an ongoing basis. The third mechanism, Costed Extensions, extends the duration and value of an award and is currently only applicable to live awardees whose funding duration ends in 2020. The call to researchers for Costed Extensions from the organisation in question closed on 19 June 2020.
Requests for Costed Extensions have been considered for awards where the research has been seriously compromised as a result of Covid-19. The organisation considers each request on a case-by-case basis. Where clear evidence of serious compromise has been provided, and where the awardee has demonstrated that the use of the first two extension mechanisms on their own cannot ensure the successful completion of the funded award, the request for a Costed Extension can be considered.
527. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills if additional funding will be made available for research relating to Covid-19 including the wider societal impact; if such research will include the arts and humanities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18826/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Irish Research Council (IRC) and the Health Research Boardvcollaboratedvto fund a Covid-19 Rapid Response Call earlier this year. This call included 3 separate strands, targeting medical countermeasures, health service readiness and social and policy countermeasures to Covid-19. Following international peer review, 21 projects were selected for funding with a total investment of €3.4 million. The funding was made available by repurposing an element of the Council’s existing budget. Should the budget further permit, the Council maybe able to fund further research relevant to Covid-19, while also broadening its scope.
To leverage additional funding for COVID-related research, the IRC has been actively promoting the role of existing programmes – notably, its COALESCE Research Fund – as a mechanism through which the next phase of the government’s response to Covid-19 might be channelled. The interdisciplinary strand of COALESCE would potentially represent an effective means for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences researchers to lead collaborative, interdisciplinary research projects relevant to Covid-19 with partner-colleagues from STEM disciplines.
528. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to increase the number of special needs assistants upon the return to school in September 2020 in view of the fact that the system of shared access of children with additional needs to an SNA, sometimes across several classrooms, will guarantee an increased transmission rate of Covid-19 specifically within a vulnerable group of children and young persons in addition to the wider school community; the number anticipated to meet the needs of social distancing for children with additional needs and their SNAs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18848/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe interim public health advice received by my Department sets out the key public health requirements that will be required for a safe full reopening of schools in late August/ September and the measures that will be required to achieve this.
This public health advice will underpin ongoing engagements with education partners and stakeholders in terms of planning and providing guidance for schools in relation to logistical, curricular and wellbeing arrangements. The advice also contains important measures required for infection prevention and control to ensure a full return to school is safe for children and staff.
At present my Department is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the requirements to provide funding to schools for measures such as enhanced cleaning regimes and PPE. My Department has also arranged for a drawdown framework to be established to enable schools purchase hand-sanitisers and PPE for use in the school and classroom. The procurement process for this framework has already commenced and it is intended these materials will be available in early August.
My Department’s ongoing work with education partners and other key stakeholders on guidance for re-opening schools is aimed at reducing the burden on schools at a local level by providing central guidance and supports to the greatest extent possible by the end of July in order to allow time for schools to implement the necessary arrangements locally.
529. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers, primary and secondary, respectively on secondment to the Professional Development Service for Teachers: if these teachers are to be redeployed back to education order to support social distancing and safe return to school; if so, the number; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18849/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe quality of our teaching profession is a critical factor in sustaining and enhancing the quality of education outcomes. My Department promotes the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) and supports for teachers and principals. The professional development needs of serving teachers in recent years have been addressed through the provision of an induction programme for newly-qualified teachers, dedicated support for school leaders, national CPD for curricular and policy reform, and ongoing support for teachers. My Department ensures that a range of high-quality models of CPD is provided to teachers and school leaders through its support services, the national network of Education Centres and appropriate groups, bodies and institutions who are empowered to design, develop and deliver CPD programmes.
The Department is developing guidance for schools to assist them in their planning for reopening so as to ensure that curricular priorities are delivered, ongoing student progression is supported and that teaching and learning is optimal in a new school environment.
In taking account of the loss of in-class time at the end of the 2019/2020 school year and recognising the potential challenges facing schools at the outset of the new school year, as they return following the extended period of closures since March 2020 due to the Covid-19 crisis support for teacher wellbeing, leadership, digital technologies and support for disadvantaged students will be areas where skilled PDST advisor support is likely to be required.
PDST supports are developed and delivered by both full time seconded teachers and a signficiant number of part-time associates who are released for short periods from the schools that they teach in.
Secondment is the core model for the recruitment of 108 Primary and 71 Post Primary PDST educational personnel which is also supported by associates which are available to the PDST to delivery its programme of work as required. The PDST needs to ensure that it maintains sufficient experienced personnel to deliver its support programme to schools from September and while a number of the PDST secondees will be returning to school, I have no plans to significantly reduce the number of full time secondees that are allocated to the PDST to support schools for the 2020/21 school year.
However, I do anticipate that there will be a reduction in the use of part-time associates by the PDST as its focus will be predominately on delivering CPD online and out of school time for Term 1 2020/21 in order to minimise disruption to class contact time.
530. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills the curriculum changes being planned for the children and young persons of primary and secondary schools; if the Professional Development Service for Teachers is leading these plans; if not, the person or body responsible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18850/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe objective of the Department of Education is to open schools in accordance with the normal start of the new school year to the fullest extent possible, while minimising the risks from a public health perspective. In so doing, the plans and actions of schools to support pupils must be sustainable in a context in which Covid-19 is still present in the country while also being sufficiently agile and responsive to any changes in health advice that may occur over the coming school year.
Taking account of the loss of in-class time at the end of the 2019/2020 school year, the potential challenges facing schools at the outset of the new school year, and the workload of principals at this time, it is acknowledged that this is not a suitable time for significant curriculum change, particularly at the start of the new school year. In order to support schools in the practicalities of re-engaging with students, a number of key decisions have been taken to pause elements of curriculum change as set out below.
At primary level the consultation period on the new primary curriculum framework is being extended to at least end year with completion expected by end Q2 2021. The effect of this will push out the timeframe for the Primary Mathematics Curriculum and the curricula for each of the other subject areas. Support for the Primary Languages Curriculum/Curaclam Teanga na Bunscoile will restart in early 2021.
The NCCA will continue to undertake development work in the area of relationships and sexuality education (RSE) and traveller history and culture; and the Department will continue to undertake development work in relation to the Education for Sustainable Development strategy, the Literacy and Numeracy strategy and the STEM education implementation plan.
At post primary level this pause includes the following:
- Junior Cycle – Schools were originally required to increase the number of hours of Wellbeing provision at Junior Cycle from 300 to 400 hours from September 2020. They will now be able to defer this until September 2021
- Senior Cycle – A number of schools were due to introduce new optional subjects from September 2020, including Leaving Certificate Computer Science, Physical Education, and the Leaving Certificate Foreign Languages of Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Lithuanian and Portuguese. These schools will now be provided with the option to defer implementation until September 2021. Implementation in schools of the revised specification for Leaving Certificate Art will be deferred by one year to September 2021. The implementation of a number of new Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) Module Descriptors will be deferred by one year to September 2021.
- Also at Senior Cycle planned consultation on new specifications for Leaving Certificate Irish is being deferred from the second half of 2020 to the first half of 2021. Consultation on a number of other Leaving Certificate subjects will also be deferred, including Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Arabic, and Latin and Ancient Greek.
- Work on the NCCA’s review of Senior Cycle has continued throughout 2020 and it is envisaged that Council’s Advisory Report to the Department will be finalised around the end of the year.
My Department published curriculum guidance this week at both primary and post primary level. This guidance is designed to support school leaders and teachers in preparing for the re-opening of schools in August/September, in mediating the curriculum during 2020/21, and for those at post primary level, to support schools in the preparation of students for the State examinations in June 2021. In this regard, guidance has also been issued to support schools in running Transition Year programmes and the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme.
In this guidance at primary level my Department recognises that it will be necessary for schools to prioritise certain aspects of the curriculum when the new term begins. Schools will need to re-orientate their work with the curriculum especially during the initial weeks of the first term as they give greater time and attention to areas such as Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE), Physical Education (PE), Language and Mathematics. Gradually, as schools build comprehensive pictures of where pupils are in their learning, they will work towards more ‘typical’ curriculum plans.
At post primary level, this guidance highlights that one of the priorities for all schools in the coming school year will be to provide rich and progressive teaching and learning experiences for all students and, in so doing, to ensure that those learners most impacted by the school closure period are enabled to reconnect with and progress in their learning. Teachers should focus on enabling students to learn again, on developing their learning readiness, and on promoting student confidence in and motivation for learning.
Progressing students’ learning is at the heart of the decisions that are made by school leaders and teachers in managing the curriculum. In the context of the return to school, supporting students’ wellbeing and helping them develop as confident and engaged learners are key objectives. These objectives can be achieved through purposeful forward planning that adapts to the challenges already experienced by schools and those that may emerge in the course of the next school year.
The guidance documents, which were developed by my Department, working closely with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, the Professional Development Services and in relation to the Post-Primary the State Examinations Commission, contain more detail on all of these alterations, can be found on the Department’s website.
531. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the adjustment of grades by her Department for the leaving certificate calculated grades results include adjusting grades on the basis of gender and socio-economic demographics of students, schools, location, DEIS status or other considerations; if so, the methodology involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18851/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe design of the calculated grades model was informed by advice from a Technical Working Group comprising experts drawn from the State Examinations Commission, the Inspectorate of my Department, the Educational Research Centre, and international external expertise.
The use of demographic characteristics was inherent in the design of the statistical model developed by the Technical Working Group.
The use of these characteristics is part of the process of validating the model and is there to ensure that the statistical standardisation process is presenting outcomes that are as fair and equitable as possible, and in line with previous outcomes as much as is possible. Not to run these checks would run the risk of not being able to tell whether or not the standardisation process was working as intended.
In the calculated grades system, students’ expected performance in a subject and level, will be combined with information about how students in the school have fared in this subject/level in recent years in line with national performance standards over time. The performance of this year’s group of students against their overall performance at Junior Cycle will also be reviewed. The relevant information which will be used to support this process includes:
- National level for both leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle examinations for 2019 and previous years.
- School level for both Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle examinations for 2019 and previous years.
- Candidate level for both Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle examinations for 2019 and previous years.
- Candidate level for the Junior Cycle results of the 2020 Leaving Certificate cohort of candidates.
While these datasets do include certain demographic information, this demographic information is not being used as part of the process of generating the calculated grades through the standardisation process.
However, in order to make sure that the standardisation process is doing what it is supposed to do, there is a separate additional process being carried out called validation.
Validation is an inherent element of any statistical system, and in the calculated grades model the purpose of validation is to ensure that the statistical model is behaving as expected, and is achieving its objectives. As mentioned, the validation process has been part of the design from the beginning.
The workings of the statistical model will be reviewed and validated in a number of ways. There will be review of the distributions of results for each subject and level. There will also be a review of the demographic characteristics of the outcomes which will include gender and socio-economic status of the school.
The purpose of this review of the outcomes of the statistical model is to check whether the calculated grades model is resulting in any particular group being advantaged or disadvantaged relative to previous years’ outcomes. It is important to note that this assessment is being made relative to previous years; the validation will check, for example, whether or not disadvantage effects, or gender effects are being exacerbated under the model. This is to ensure that the model is presenting outcomes that are as fair and equitable as possible given its constraints, and in line with previous outcomes as much as is possible.
The purpose of the calculated grades system is to arrive at the grade that each student would have achieved if the examinations had taken place as normal. The validation process will check to see if the interactions between these characteristics and the calculated results are similar to the interactions in the historical data between these characteristics and examination results.
532. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding third level students need for the provision of laptops; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18873/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware on 22 July the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science announced a substantial package of supports for third level institutions and students to mitigate the impacts of Covid-19. This package included funding to be allocated for the provision of devices to assist disadvantaged students and learners that otherwise would experience difficulties in participating fully in their chosen programme. Arrangements for procuring the devices and the principles governing their distribution in the higher and further education sectors will be finalised in the forthcoming period in consultation with key stakeholders. Further details will be made available as soon as this process has been completed.
533. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will intervene in cases in which landlords are refusing to give refunds to students that could not remain in their accommodation during the Covid-19 lockdown; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18899/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is working with representatives from the higher education sector to address the challenges faced by students in this difficult time. I understand, based on the information available to me, that students who were residing in university-owned accommodation will receive pro-rata refunds if they vacated their accommodation due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While I would wish to see the same principle applied in the case of students who were residing in privately owned student accommodation, it is not within the remit of my Department to direct any accommodation provider to offer a refund.
Refund or cancellation policies in student accommodation should be set out in the license agreement signed at the beginning of the academic year. In the first instance students should engage with their accommodation provider to see if an arrangement can be reached in regard to a refund.
If this is not possible, under the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 students have access to the Dispute Resolution Services of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). The relevant division of the RTB can be contacted by email at ssa@rtb.ie.
