Written Answers Nos. 486-500
486. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education the reason the representative of an organisation (details supplied) was the only representative excluded by the NCCA from the working party to create a new RSE curriculum. [36590/23]
View answerThe contents of your question refer to the internal workings of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), the body which advises on curriculum and assessment for early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the NCCA for direct reply to you.
487. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education if she will examine a bus route decision (details supplied). [36593/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
There has been an increase of 21% in tickets issued to eligible students and an increase of 38% in tickets issued on a concessionary basis in the current 2022/23 school year compared to the 2021/22 school year.
In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using an agreed selection process.
Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is attending his 4th closest school and is therefore not eligible under the terms of the scheme. Bus Eireann have further advised that the pupil was not successful in obtaining a ticket for the 2023/2024 school year as the vehicle on the route is full to capacity.
488. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education for a breakdown of schools in the Dublin 6W, Dublin 8, Dublin 10 and Dublin 12 areas; the schools that have access to a home school community liaison officer; if there is full- or part-time access, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36642/23]
View answer489. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education for a breakdown of schools in the Dublin 6W, Dublin 8, Dublin 10 and Dublin 12 areas; the schools that do not have access to a home school community liaison officer, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36643/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 488 and 489 together.
All DEIS Urban Primary and DEIS Post Primary schools are included in the Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL), which serves 693 schools. The scheme is delivered by over 530 full-time HSCL Coordinators who are teachers in these schools and assigned to HSCL duties either in individual schools or clusters of schools, catering for approximately 207,000 pupils. The HSCL scheme seeks to promote partnership between parents, teachers and community family support services, with a view to supporting improved attendance, participation and retention.
The information in relation to schools in the Dublin 6W, Dublin 8, Dublin 10 and Dublin 12 areas are provided below in tabular format:
|
Primary Schools |
Post-Primary Schools |
No. of schools in DEIS |
HSCL Full post |
HSCL Shared post |
|
|
Dublin 6W |
10 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Dublin 8 |
17 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
0 |
|
Dublin 10 |
9 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
|
Dublin 12 |
9 |
8 |
17 |
9 |
7 |
491. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education the current status of an application by a school (details supplied) for emergency works; when a decision is likely to be made in this case in view of the fact that these facilities are urgently required to accommodate 42 children enrolled for 1 September in the school which has recently become co-educational and a delay in this project could result in the school being unable to accommodate these children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36648/23]
View answerThe application to which the Deputy refers is for a full roof repair under the Emergency Works scheme, this application has been examined by the Department and the outcome has been notified to the school.
The scope of works is outside the remit of the Emergency Works Scheme. However the Board of Management has been advised that it is open to it to submit a revised scaled back application to address the immediate needs through leak detection and repair until a more comprehensive and permanent solution can be addressed under a future Summer Works Scheme.
492. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education if his Department, and all agencies under the remit of his Department, have their telephone contact details on their websites and on other media platforms; if all stationery and headed notepaper used in correspondence with the public contain relevant phone contact details, taking into account that everybody is not in a position to correspond by e-mail; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36692/23]
View answerThe homepage of the Department of Education’s website contains telephone contact details for the Department’s customer service unit and for the press office.
All social media channels of the Department display a link to the Department’s website where telephone contact details are available.
The Department’s headed paper has a customisable footer so the correct phone numbers as well as email for the appropriate section can be inserted and staff are advised to complete this step.
The information in respect of state bodies, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by the Department. Contact details for these bodies are set out in the attached document.
493. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education to provide an update on major school building projects in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, in tabular form, listing the school, location, stage and expected completion date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36805/23]
View answerThrough Project Ireland 2040, we are investing €4.4 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost one million students and over 100,000 staff that learn and work in our schools every day.
My Department has a proven track record of delivery. During the period 2018 to 2022, nearly 900 school building projects were completed. This includes 159 building projects across Dublin (18 in the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown constituency areas).
The key drivers of capital investment in the schools sector are as follows:
•demographic change, including keeping pace with delivery of SEN and accommodation for Ukrainian pupils particularly at Post Primary
•alignment with housing provision and national planning at school planning area level,
•construction costs,
•climate action objectives including deep energy retrofit.
My Department completed over 180 projects last year, including 39 in Dublin (4 in the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown area), within a challenging construction sector environment of high inflation, labour shortages and supply chain issues.
This year alone, in excess of 300 school building projects are currently under construction, including 40 new school buildings and 260 projects at existing schools.
Key priorities for my Department are supporting the operation of the school system and adding necessary capacity to cater for special education needs provision, mainstream demographics and catering for students from Ukraine and other countries under the International Protection system.
The current status of all school building projects from 2010 to date is listed on a county by county basis at www.gov.ie and is updated on a regular basis to reflect their progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.
494. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Education what training is provided to student teachers or existing qualified teachers on how to discuss climate change with their pupils, and how to implement responses through the curriculum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36933/23]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that ESD to 2030 – Ireland’s 2nd National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development 2022 to 2030, co-sponsored by the Department of Education, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, was published in June 2022.
ESD to 2030 is aligned to UNESCO’s framework for ESD for 2030 and aims to ensure that all learners have the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development.
Under the 1st National Strategy for ESD, much progress was made:
- Integrating ESD themes and principles across the curriculum
- Integrating ESD themes and principles into the assessment and inspection processes
- Integrating ESD into ITE and CPD for teachers
- A dedicated resource hub for ESD on Scoilnet: www.scoilnet.ie/esd/
An audit of the curriculum for opportunities for linkages to ESD was conducted by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and published in 2018. This audit shows where each Sustainable Development Goals can be linked to the curriculum including SDG 13 – Climate Change which was shown to have explicit links to Primary History, Geography, Science and SPHE curricula, JC Business Studies, Home Economics, Science, History and CSPE curricula and LC Ag. Science, Geography and Politics and Society curricula. A copy of the audit is available here: ncca.ie/media/3573/esdreport_final_june2018.pdf . Work has continued integrating ESD across new and re-developed curricula and a follow up audit will be conducted under ESD to 2030.
ESD to 2030 aims to build on these foundations and has five priority areas: Advancing Policy, Transforming Learning Environments, Building Capacity of Educators, Empowering and Mobilising Youth and Accelerating Local Level Action.
In terms of Priority area 3: Building Capacity for Educators - Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) was published in November 2020. All programmes of initial teacher education are aligned with Céim for first year intakes since September 2022.
Global Citizenship Education (to include Education for Sustainable Development; Wellbeing (personal and community); Social Justice, Interculturalism) is one of seven core elements in Céim that underpin programme design for primary and post primary teachers.
In November 2021, the Teaching Council commenced Cycle 2 accreditation of existing programmes, which involves a scheduled review of 68 programmes of ITE in 14 Higher Education Institutes, between 2021 and 2023.
Information regarding the overall implementation of Global Citizenship Education as an element of programmes of ITE, will be available in 2024, following the conclusion of the accreditation cycle.
CPD for teachers is delivered by a wide range of providers including for example the Department’s Teacher Education Section funded Support Services, Higher Education Institutions, NGOs such as ECO UNESCO, An Taisce/ Green Schools, Irish Schools Sustainability Network, Global Citizenship Schools, WorldWise Global Schools and the UBUNTU and DICE networks. Under ESD to 2030, the Department recently carried out some research on the CPD programmes related to ESD which are available for teachers. The Department is currently reviewing the resulting report and plans to publish the list of ESD related CPD programmes available for teachers in due course. This list will also be reviewed by the ESD advisory group for schools to see if there are any gaps in provision and if so, how such gaps might be addressed.
ESD to 2030 funding totalling €267k was recently allocated to organisations supporting implementation of ESD to 2030 including funding to increase teacher participation a number of ESD related CPD programmes.
ESD to 2030 funding for schools will be advertised at the start of the new school year (23/24) and it will include provision for schools to get funding for ESD related CPD for it’s teachers.
The Summer Course Programme for primary teachers comprises a range of face-to-face, online and blended summer courses that are generally aligned to national priorities and focused on teaching, learning and leadership. Summer Courses must be approved by the Inspectorate. The Department has included Education for Sustainable Development as one of the permitted categories for summer courses in the 2023-2025 approval cycle.
The Department, through its quarterly ESD Newsletter continues to promote ESD related CPD for teachers.
The ESD to 2030 Implementation Plan 2022 – 2026 details further actions which are underway across the education sector to build teacher capacity in this important area.
In addition to the cross-curricular integration of ESD, Minister Foley announced the introduction of “Climate Action and Sustainable Development” as a leaving certificate curricular subject from September 2024. The NCCA are in the process of developing this new curriculum. The subject focuses on the development of students’ knowledge on climate change and sustainable development, their skills such as systems thinking, critical thinking, creativity and problem solving, and their dispositions in relation to values and futures thinking. The focus is on motivating students’ to action for a sustainable future.
Further details on ESD to 2030 are available on the webpage: www.gov.ie/en/publication/02952d-national-strategy-on-education-for-sustainable-development-in-irelan/
495. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education the status of an application for additional accommodation at a school (details supplied); if she will ensure that this proposal is advanced to the next stage at an early date in view of the urgent need to provide this much needed accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36938/23]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers has been approved funding under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme 2021 for the provision of 1 x 149m2 Engineering Room, 1 x 59m2 Engineering Prep Room, 1 x 80m2 Construction Prep/Store area & 1 x 119m2 Home Economics Room.
Investment and expenditure on Gyms/PE Halls are an element of the overall School Building Programme.
The provision of GP rooms and PE Halls, at primary and post primary level respectively, and social/canteen spaces, form part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings. This is also the case where a major building or refurbishment project is being delivered for an existing school.
The Deputy will appreciate that the immediate priority of my Department is providing new and replacement school places each year, to ensure that every child has a school place. The main focus of my Department’s resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics particularly at post-primary level, and for provision to meet the needs of children with special educational needs. My Department will continue to work to ensure that capital investment in our schools is targeted in the most efficient and effective way to support schools in meeting the education needs of their students and communities.
Under Project Ireland 2040 the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion capital investment over the period 2021-2025. There will be a rolling 5 year funding envelope which will be updated annually for the period 2026 to 2030 within the Government’s overall NDP funding envelope of €136 billion in exchequer capital (€165 billion total capital including non-Exchequer) that will facilitate building a modern and sustainable school infrastructure.
This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high quality building projects, with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across Ireland. The strengthened focus on refurbishment of existing school stock will have different strands and will include a PE build and modernisation programme which will enable students in post-primary schools to have access to appropriate facilities to support PE provision, particularly also in the context of the roll-out of PE as a leaving-certificate subject. Enhanced and modernised PE facilities will also provide important amenities for local communities.
496. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the number of primary school teachers in each county in the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years; the provisional allocation in each county for 2023-2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36939/23]
View answerThe number of teaching posts allocated to schools per county between 2019 and 2022 are attached. Also included are the current number of whole-time posts allocated for the 2023/24 school year. Please note that allocations for the 2023/24 school year will not be finalised until the Autumn when posts allocated on the basis of projected enrolments are confirmed.
497. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 289 of 30 May 2023, and the response given (details supplied), if she will provide the equivalent details for each county/local authority for 2019-2020 and 2022-2023. [36940/23]
View answerPlease find attached requested data
This data is based on mainstream classes in mainstream schools and are collated from the relevant Class Size tables published on the DES website and can be found at the link below;
www.gov.ie/en/collection/class-size-information-at-individual-primary-school-level/
498. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education for an update on the planning process for a school (details supplied); when planning permission will be submitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36969/23]
View answerThe project for the school to which the Deputy refers is devolved for delivery to Kildare & Wicklow Education & Training Board (KWETB). The project is to provide an extension to the existing school, the demolition of a section of the building and the refurbishment of some of the existing buildings.
In April 2023, my Department approved a submission from the school authority to increase the original brief in the context of a significant increase in projected new enrolments in the area. This allowed for a project to cater for a 1,000 pupil school plus 6 special education needs classes. The school's design team will therefore submit revised plans to incorporate the increase in advance of the school authority seeking the necessary planning approval. My Department is engaged with the school authority and expects to receive the new design submission shortly.
At this stage it is not possible to provide an accurate timeline for the project. KWETB will be engaging directly with the school community to keep it informed of progress.
499. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if the free primary schoolbook scheme grant given to schools covers the costs of all schoolbooks; if parents can be asked to donate or pay any additional fee towards the costs of their child's schoolbooks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36977/23]
View answerAs Minister for Education, I believe it is crucially important that children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. This Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry for many Irish families.
Earlier this year I announced the establishment of Ireland’s first national primary school book scheme. More than 558,000 pupils enrolled in approximately 3,230 primary schools, including over 130 special schools, will benefit from this new measure. In March, my Department published and issued extensive guidance to schools on the operation of the scheme.
At a minimum, the scheme will provide free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks for all children and young people in recognised primary schools and special schools and will eliminate the cost of schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks for parents of children and young people enrolled in these schools. Parents must not be asked to purchase textbooks, workbooks or copybooks or to pay a fee towards the purchase of these items. Parents/guardians experiencing any issues in relation to this may contact the Department at freeprimaryschoolbooks@education.gov.ie.
Once the cost of schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks has been met and where funding permits, schools should use the grant to eliminate costs of related classroom resources such as pens, pencils and erasers. Related classroom resources may also include items provided by schools where a charge was previously levied on parents, for example, art materials and photocopying. However, it is recognised, that, in some schools, the total book grant provided may not be sufficient to cover the costs of all related classroom resources. Therefore, in some instances schools may request a fee from parents towards the cost of classroom resources or may ask parents to purchase them. Schools must communicate with families and inform them where related classroom resources cannot be provided, by the school, setting out what items are required or what items will be provided by any charge levied on parents under the schoolbook scheme.
Separately, while schools may request a voluntary contribution from parents it must be made expressly clear to parents that there is no requirement to pay this cost. The manner in which such voluntary contributions are sought and collected is a matter for school management. Their collection, however, must not create a situation where parents or pupils could infer the contributions are compulsory in nature.
Section 64 of the Education (Admissions to schools) Act 2018, explicitly prohibits the charging of admission and enrolment fees for admission to, or for continued enrolment in a school.
In implementing the free primary schoolbook scheme, schools are expected to adopt a cost conscious approach but it is also important to note that primary schools and special schools will continue to have autonomy to choose books that meet their curricular requirements. The scheme seeks to ensure that value for money is achieved and that primary schools and special schools will be supported to implement it in a way that delivers the best learning outcomes for pupils.
The book grant funding issued directly to schools in April to ensure that schools have sufficient time to implement the scheme in advance of the 2023/24 school year. Schools have received €96 per pupil and this is paid based on validated enrolment figures.
A full evaluation of the first year of implementation of the scheme will be undertaken in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, to inform the guidance, implementation, costs and efficiency of the scheme for future years.
As Minister for Education, I am acutely aware of the various costs faced by families upon the return of their children to school each September and am confident that this new provision will significantly reduce the back to school financial burden for many families.
500. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the projected cost of ensuring every primary and secondary school has a school library, a school librarian, and access to the school digital library service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37008/23]
View answerThe estimated costing in relation to the provision of libraries in approximately 3,300 primary and 730 post-primary schools would be substantial. For example the provision of a librarian in each school would have an estimated cost of €212,000,000 per annum. The provision would include many different factors in addition to librarians such as provision of the physical space, fixtures and fittings, IT facilities, librarian assistants, stock (physical and digital), national co-ordinator, professional development etc. In order to have accurate costings an evaluation would be required to include an assessment of the different school structures as each school type would require different works etc.
Under the Programme for Government my Department was tasked with the development of a successor Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy. The strategy is being informed by robust research to include consideration of national and international practice, by extensive stakeholder engagement and public consultation. It is intended that the new strategy would be published in 2023. This strategy will set the vision for the coming 10 years with recommendations/ actions to improve literacy, numeracy and digital literacy levels from early years to post-primary level.
