Seán Sherlock
Question:354. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education the number of appeals currently waiting for assessment under the school transport appeals board by county in tabular form. [61805/22]
View answerSchool Transport
Questions (354)
Written answers
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.
In July 2022, Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the current school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures. Ticket registration for the 2022/23 school year closed on 29 July by which time almost 130,000 applications/registrations were received for mainstream school transport. This figure includes 44,299 new applications as well as roll-overs from the previous school year.
Decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Department of Education regarding the provision of school transport services and/or grant-aid under the terms of the School Transport Schemes may be appealed to the School Transport Appeals Board. This Board is independent in the performance of it’s functions but acts in accordance with (a) its Terms of Reference as determined by the Minister and (b) a set of Operating Procedures.
The table below outlines the number of appeals currently waiting for assessment under the school transport appeals board by county in tabular form.
|
County |
Total |
|
Carlow |
51 |
|
Cavan |
55 |
|
Clare |
53 |
|
Cork |
192 |
|
Donegal |
39 |
|
Dublin |
9 |
|
Galway |
187 |
|
Kerry |
27 |
|
Kildare |
116 |
|
Kilkenny |
43 |
|
Laois |
36 |
|
Leitrim |
27 |
|
Limerick |
46 |
|
Longford |
11 |
|
Louth |
83 |
|
Mayo |
19 |
|
Meath |
102 |
|
Monaghan |
32 |
|
Offaly |
25 |
|
Roscommon |
19 |
|
Sligo |
43 |
|
Tipperary |
42 |
|
Waterford |
27 |
|
Westmeath |
18 |
|
Wexford |
64 |
|
Wicklow |
23 |
|
TOTAL |
1389 |
Teaching Qualifications
Questions (355)
David Stanton
Question:355. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education the requirements that are necessary to allow those with teaching qualifications from Ukraine to teach at Irish primary and secondary level schools; if there are other roles that those with such qualifications could play in Irish schools given the number of children from Ukraine currently enrolled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61818/22]
View answerWritten answers
The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for the teaching profession, which promotes and regulates professional standards of teaching in Ireland.
The Council have advised that they have engaged with the Ukrainian Embassy, National Vetting Bureau, Department of Education, and other State bodies in relation to the registration and vetting of qualified Ukrainian teachers who have been granted Temporary Protection under the EU Temporary Protection Directive. As a response to these unprecedented circumstances, the Council has finalised a tailored process to support the registration and vetting of qualified Ukrainian teachers. This includes a modified application process with a specific application form. Additionally, a guidance document to support the process has been made available in both English and Ukrainian.
Registration as a teacher is a statutory process governed by Irish and EU legislation. Where teachers from Ukraine have evidence of qualified teacher status, they can apply to be admitted to the Register of Teachers in Ireland in order to teach in State-recognised schools. Each application for registration will be assessed on a case-by-case basis under the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2016.
Teachers who do not meet all the registration requirements may be registered subject to conditions. A range of conditions may be attached to a teacher's registration in line with any identified shortfalls. The teacher will be given three years to address these conditions during which time the Council will continue to engage with the teacher, as necessary.
Once registered, Ukrainian teachers, irrespective of conditional registration status, are eligible to receive a State-funded salary and teach in recognised schools. It should be noted the employment and deployment of teachers within the school system falls outside the remit of the Teaching Council.
Any qualified Ukrainian teacher interested in applying for registration should email ukrainianteachers@teachingcouncil.ie and will be provided with the necessary documentation.
Whilst there are roles that a person who is registered with the Teaching Council could play in Irish schools, the recruitment of teachers and other teaching support staff are a matter for the Schools Board of Management as my Department is not involved in the day-to-day management of schools.
School Transport
Questions (356)
Marc MacSharry
Question:356. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education if she will review the case of two children (details supplied) with extenuating circumstances who have yet to receive an update with regard to getting school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61833/22]
View answerWritten answers
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the previous school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
The National Council for Special Education acts in an advisory role to the Department of Education and Skills on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs. Under the terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, the Department will consider the report of the Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO). School transport is provided to children with special educational needs who are attending the nearest school to their place of residence that is or can be resourced to meet their educational needs, as identified by the SENO. I am pleased to advise one of the siblings referred to by the Deputy is eligible under the terms School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs and a sanction has been sent by School Transport Section of my Department to Bus Éireann for the establishment of a new service. . Bus Éireann has tendered this service in line with procurement guidelines and is in the process of allocating a contractor to operate this service. Once a contractor has been sourced, the service will commence. Bus Éireann will liaise with families directly with regard to this matter at that stage.
Both the Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the challenges faced by parents awaiting transport for students with special educational needs. Families of children who are eligible for these services may therefore apply for the Special Transport Grant which is a once off payment, paid retrospectively to families once the School Transport service is in place and is to assist with the cost of private transport arrangements the family had put in place until services are finalised. The family referred have been sent correspondence with regard to the grant details.
Bus Éireann has advised that the second child referred to by the Deputy is not eligible for school transport under the terms of the school transport scheme and an application was made on 2nd November 2022. The pupil was unsuccessful in obtaining a seat on board a school transport service for the 2022/23 school year as the existing service is operating to capacity.
School Funding
Questions (357)
Neale Richmond
Question:357. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education the supports that are available to assist schools with their energy bills this winter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61834/22]
View answerWritten answers
My Department provides funding to all recognised schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs including heating, lighting etc. and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. These grants may be regarded as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities.
It was a very significant achievement to have secured €9.6 billion for Education in Budget ’23. This will enable many ground-breaking investments in our education system, furthering the work of this Government in recent years in reducing class sizes, reducing costs for families, tackling disadvantage and supporting achievement of all our students.
As part of the Cost of Living measures introduced in the Budget, €90 million is being provided in once-off additional funding to support increased running costs for recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme, in particular in dealing with challenges they face in the light of rising energy costs.
This additional grant, which issued to schools recently, was paid at the rate of €75 per pupil at Primary level and €113 at Post-Primary level. Enhanced rates were also paid in respect of pupils with Special Educational needs. Further details are available in Circular 0077/2022 available on my Department’s website and may be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/circular/467fa-once-off-cost-of-living-measure-to-support-increased-school-running-costs/.
In the context of the current cost of living crisis I would expect this very significant additional funding being made available to schools will be sufficient to meet increased running costs.
In addition to this 40% increase in grant funding in Budget 2023 to cover increased running costs, my Department has been supporting schools to access lower prices for some time.
Significant work has been carried out at Department level in order to support all schools in their procurement and use of energy supplies.
My Department has ensured in recent years that centrally negotiated rates were made available to schools for electricity and bulk heating fuels through frameworks sourced by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). Central rates are fixed for gas and electricity for those availing of those arrangements at present.
A significant number of schools have engaged with this and are availing of highly competitive energy prices. It is planned to run future competitions to ensure that bulk rates continue to be available from 2024 onwards. Information on how to avail of these arrangements is available via the Schools Procurement Unit website, www.spu.ie.
A suite of guidance and advice is currently available to schools about ways to reduce energy consumption during the school day, and my Department will be looking at what additional advice is required to align with the overall approach being adopted by Government in relation to energy savings in public buildings while recognising the unique nature of schools in terms of opening hours.
School Management
Questions (358)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh
Question:358. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Education if the board of management of a school (details supplied) that was established as a regional school solution for two school planning areas has the authority to alter the school's catchment area boundary; if not, if that catchment area boundary must remain as the boundary of the relevant school planning areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61902/22]
View answerWritten answers
The Education Act requires the Minister for Education, as a function, to plan and co-ordinate the provision of education in recognised schools and to do all such acts and things as may be necessary to further the objects of the Act.
The Act also bestows on the Minister all such powers as are necessary or expedient for the purpose of performing her functions.
It also stipulates that in carrying out her functions, the Minister must have regard to the resources available and the practices and traditions relating to the organisation of existing schools and their right to manage their own affairs in accordance with the Act and any charters, deeds, articles of management or other such instruments relating to their establishment or operation.
In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data in a way that takes account of the significant local and regional variations in demographic trends and enrolment projections, Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas.
As the Deputy is aware, on the basis of demographic demand identified by my Department, Edmund Rice College was established in 2017 to serve the Castleknock_D15 and also, Carpenterstown_D15 school planning areas as a regional solution, and the site for the school is the Castleknock_D15 school planning area.
New schools established since 2011 to meet demographic demand, such as the Edmund Rice College, are required, in the first instance, to prioritise pupil applications from within the designated school planning area(s) which the school was established to serve. This does not preclude schools from enrolling pupils from outside of the school planning area where they have sufficient places, rather it reflects the need to accommodate in the first instance the demographic for which the school was established.
In most areas, school planning areas were based on traditional school catchment areas where all primary schools were assigned to a post-primary feeder area (typically a population centre or town), containing one or more post-primary schools. The school planning areas were developed for use with the Department’s Geographic Information System (GIS) in 2008 and with the introduction of Small Areas in Census 2011, these areas were amended to align with Census Small Areas. The current school planning areas take account not only of local groupings of schools, but also of natural boundaries, Census Small Areas and other local conditions.
The school planning areas provide a useful means of projecting demographic demand in a localised area or areas, thereby allowing the Department to determine oncoming growth at a relatively localised level to inform recommendations and decisions on where additional school places may be needed. However, there can be a high degree of inward and outward mobility of children between school planning areas, particularly in urban areas, and parents are free to apply to enrol their children in any school, whether that is in the school planning area in which they reside or not. My Department does not have plans to review the school planning areas at this point.
The question of enrolment in individual schools, including the setting of catchment areas, is the responsibility of the Board of Management on behalf of the school Patron and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters.
School Staff
Questions (359)
David Stanton
Question:359. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education the requirements necessary to allow the appointment of a home-school community liaison to a school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61907/22]
View answerWritten answers
The DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) programme is my Department's main policy initiative to address educational disadvantage at school level. The Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) scheme is an integral element of the DEIS programme. It is a school-based intervention that seeks to promote partnership between parents, teachers and community family support services. A HSCL Coordinator is a teacher from a participating school/s who is released from teaching duties, for a maximum of five years, in order to work intensively with and support parents/guardians. The overarching goal of the HSCL Coordinator is to improve educational outcomes for children through their work with the key adults in the child’s life.
HSCL supports are provided to all DEIS Urban and DEIS Post-Primary schools. HSCL Coordinator posts are allocated on a full-time basis to a DEIS school or on a shared basis between a cluster of DEIS schools.
In the 2022/23 school year there are 529 HSCL posts allocated to provide supports to approximately 207,000 students under the DEIS programme.
In addition, there are a number of pilot projects to support the attendance, participation and retention of Traveller and Roma students for which HSCL supports have also been assigned.
Special Educational Needs
Questions (360, 361)
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:360. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update from her Department and the NCSE on admissions to special schools and special classes in September 2023; the number of places that her Department and the NCSE anticipate are needed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61908/22]
View answerPádraig O'Sullivan
Question:361. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education the actions that are being taken to create places in special schools and special classes ahead of the September 2023 school term to ensure that each child has a place in an appropriate setting and to ensure that parents do not have to deal with ongoing uncertainty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61909/22]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 360 and 361 together.
I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:
My Department is committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. My Department strives to ensure that every child has access to an educational experience that is appropriate to their needs and supports both their academic and personal development.
Our policy, which is set out in the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 (EPSEN) is that children with SEN should be educated in mainstream placements with additional supports provided as appropriate.
Where children require more specialised educational settings, such as special classes or special schools, the Department and National Council for Special Education (NCSE) ensures that the necessary resources and supports for such placements are provided in line with the needs of the child.
My Department is engaging intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes for the next school year 2023/2024. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.
The NCSE is statutorily responsible for planning and coordinating provision at both a local and a national level and advising my Department in this regard. At local level, the NCSE is continuing to engage with schools regarding the establishment of additional special classes for the next school year 2023/2024. Every support will be made available to schools to progress the opening of special classes in the shortest possible timeframe. As part of Budget 2023, additional funding is being provided to allow the NCSE recruit additional staff, including SENOs. These additional resources should ensure that the NCSE can better support parents and schools in relation to the provision of special education needs places.
Significant improvements have been made to the forward planning process for special education places over the last 2 to 3 years, including:
- the inclusion of special classes in all new schools by default (e.g. 4 class in a 1000 pupil post-primary school).
- improving the use of Geographic Information Systems in planning for special classes and special school places and
- increased engagement with key stakeholders such as patron bodies and management bodies, particularly at post-primary level.
As of 30 November there have been 396 new special classes open for the 2022/2023 school year, bringing the total of special classes to 2,548 opened nationwide. The 396 new special classes for 2022/23 is broken down by 263 at primary level and 133 at post primary level.
As part of Budget 2023, my Department’s budget was substantially increased, by over 10%, meaning that for 2023 the Department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education. This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the Department’s total allocation for 2023. This includes additional teaching and care supports.
For 2023, at least a further 370 special classes will open, taking the total number of special classes to over 2,900 in 2023.
My Department is committed, in conjunction with the NCSE, to continue to work with parents, schools, patrons and all stakeholders to ensure that there are sufficient appropriate places for students with additional needs and to support all students to achieve their potential.
Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes. The local SENOs remain available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list.
Information on the list of schools with special classes, the types and locations of these classes is published on the NCSE website and is available at www.ncse.ie.
It is open to any school to make an application to the NCSE for the establishment of a specialised provision and where sanctioned, a range of supports, including capital funding, is made available to the school.
I want to reassure you also that my Department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.
Question No. 361 answered with Question No. 360.
Special Educational Needs
Questions (362)
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:362. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education the actions that she will take to ensure that all children who need access to the in-school July provision programme in 2023 can access it; the number of children at primary and post-primary level who need access to in-school July provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61910/22]
View answerWritten answers
The 2022 Summer Programme built on the success of the expanded 2021 Summer Programme. Over 1,000 schools ran a programme this year with over 41,000 pupils benefiting from both school based and home-based programmes in 2022.
For 2023, additional funding has been secured in Budget 2023 to run the programme to match the investment in 2021 and 2022 bringing the total funding available to €40m.
This will allow schools the certainty they require to let them plan for a summer programme in their school next year. In recent years my Department has made a range of additional resources and supports available to schools to encourage participation in this essential programme and it hoped that the early announcement of funding in Budget 2023 means that schools will commit to running a programme next year.
My Department is currently undertaking a review of the 2022 programme with a view to improving it for next year and with a committed focus on increasing the number of schools participating, particularly special schools. This review process has already started to engage with the management bodies, schools, parents with a view to encouraging schools and supporting them to participate in next year’s programme.
It must be noted that while it is important to support a summer based programme in our special schools and special classes, it is also essential to ensure that the children with complex special educational needs (SEN) who are in our mainstream settings also have access to this critical support. As our system has become more inclusive and many of these children with more complex needs now attend mainstream settings, it is recognised that they too will be impacted by school holidays and require that additional support to ensure that they achieve their potential.
Following the review of this year's programme and finalisation of planning for next year, the details of the 2023 Summer Programme will be published at the earliest possible opportunity.
Teaching Council of Ireland
Questions (363)
Eoin Ó Broin
Question:363. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to delays in processing applications by the Teaching Council; if she will clarify that there is only one member of staff processing overseas applications; and if further resources might be provided in order to increase the processing of applications given the current shortage of teachers in certain areas. [61913/22]
View answerWritten answers
The Teaching Council have advised that an average of 600 applications from teachers who qualified outside of Ireland are approved annually for registration. The average processing time for these applications is 10-11 weeks. Information on processing times is clearly provided on the Teaching Council website and the Council advise those intending to register from overseas to commence the process as early as possible in advance of seeking relevant employment. For those applying with qualifications obtained overseas the advice published on the website is up to 12 weeks from receipt of all required documentation. The Council has a dedicated Qualifications Assessment Unit and team of personnel dedicated to the assessment and processing of overseas applications.
Teaching Council of Ireland
Questions (364)
Eoin Ó Broin
Question:364. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the registration of a person (details supplied) with the Teaching Council. [61914/22]
View answerWritten answers
The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for the teaching profession, which promotes and regulates professional standards in teaching. The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. The Council registers teachers under five routes of registration namely, Route 1 - Primary, Route 2 - Post-primary, Route 3 - Further Education, Route 4 - Other and Route 5 - Student Teacher. The minimum registration requirements for each route are set out in the Schedule of the regulations.
The Teaching Council advise on their website that the assessment and registration process for teachers who qualified outside of Ireland may take up to 12 weeks or 6-8 weeks for those who qualified in Ireland from receipt of all application documentation. Those wishing to register are advised to apply for registration in advance of their planned return to or commencement of teaching. The vetting process may take up to 6 weeks, so applicants are advised to apply for registration at least 12 weeks in advance of their planned return to (or commencement of) teaching.
The Teaching Council have advised that the person referred to submitted an application for registration under in early November, and that processing concluded with Registration finalised on 7 December 2022.
The Council had been liaising with the applicant in November in respect of outstanding documentation in relation to the vetting application including ‘Proof of Address’ dated within the last six months and overseas police clearance from three countries. Applicants for registration who have lived overseas for a cumulative period of 12 months or more after the age of 18 must provide a photocopy of police clearance for each country in which they have resided. On foot o being advised advising that overseas police clearance from these countries could not be provided, the Council considered the case and advised that a GV01 form (Sworn Declaration) is acceptable in lieu of the police clearances. (The Council reserves the right to seek a sworn declaration where a satisfactory police/criminal records disclosure is not available).
A completed GV01 form (Sworn Declaration) was provided in order to fulfil the Statutory obligation to obtain Vetting clearance, which enabled the Council to process the application for Registration.
School Staff
Questions (365)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:365. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of teachers who are on secondment from schools to the TES section of her Department. [61943/22]
View answerWritten answers
The teacher secondment scheme is designed to facilitate the temporary assignment of a teacher to a vacant position in a host organisation, where the work to be carried out by the seconded teacher is of clear benefit to the education system.
A secondment must be based on mutual agreement between the teacher, the school authority and the host organisation and is subject to approval by my Department. When considering secondment applications schools are requested to consider national/education objectives and policies and to facilitate, where possible, the release of teachers to national programmes for the benefit of the wider school community.
According to data from my Department’s Teachers Payroll System there are approximately 471 teachers on secondment at present.
A total of 348 teachers secondments are allocated to the Teacher Education Section (TES) funded support services and Education Centres. Of these, 147 are primary teachers and 193 are post primary teachers. In addition, teachers are seconded to a range of other support programmes including special education support services, representative bodies and other initiatives.
The four national Teacher Education Support Services are:
- Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST)
- Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT)
- National Induction Programme for Teachers (NIPT) and
- The Centre for School Leadership (CSL)
In addition, there are 21 full time and 7 part time Education Centres across the country.
The 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 school leaders. The professional development needs of serving teachers are 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.
School Admissions
Questions (366)
Paul Murphy
Question:366. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if she will instruct a school (details supplied) to revoke its decision to refuse an admission form, thereby allowing a student to be admitted, given the extenuating circumstances.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61945/22]
View answerWritten answers
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. The selection criteria to be applied by schools and the order of priority are a matter for the schools themselves. My Department does not seek to intervene in the selection criterion that is applied by schools.
Where a board of management make a decision to refuse admission, a parent/guardian can appeal that decision under section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, and an independent appeals committee will be appointed to consider the appeal. The role of the section 29 hearing committee is to examine the application for enrolment and consider if it was correctly processed by the school, in accordance with the school’s Enrolment Policy. The section 29 appeals committee cannot consider matters that are not provided for within the school’s Enrolment Policy. If a parent / guardian consider that a school has erred in their processing of their enrolment application, a section 29 appeal committee can examine how the application was processed by the school and identify if the school did not follow its Enrolment policy. In cases where an error occurred the section 29 appeal committee will consider if the error had a material effect on the application. Where an error had a material effect on your enrolment application, the section 29 appeal committee can direct the school to enrol the student or adjust the students ranking on the waiting list.
My Department has no authority to compel a school to admit a student, except in circumstances where an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 has been allowed and the appeals committee directs that the school admit the child concerned.
A section 29 appeal must be made no later than 63 calendar days from the date of the school’s decision to refuse admission.
It is important to note that if a child have been refused admission due to the school being oversubscribed, and the parent / guardian wish to appeal this decision they must firstly make a written request to the school seeking a review of the board of management’s decision. This request for a review to the board of management is time bound and must be made within 21 calendar days from the date of the decision by the school to refuse admission to the child.
If the child has been refused admission for a reason other than the school being oversubscribed, the parent/ guardian may, but are not required to, request a review by the board of management within 21 calendar days from the date of the decision by the school to refuse admission to your child. Where the child have been refused admission for a reason other than the school being oversubscribed and the parent / guardian does not choose to seek a review by the board of management that parent / guardian may make an appeal to an independent appeals committee no later than 63 calendar days from the date of the school’s decision to refuse admission.
Full details on the section 29 appeals process for refused enrolment are available on the Gov.ie website at the links below:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/8248c-appeals-in-relation-to-refusal-to-admit-a-student-due-to-a-school-being-oversubscribed/
www.gov.ie/en/publication/31c4f-appeals-in-relation-to-refusal-to-admit-a-student-for-a-reason-other-than-the-school-being-oversubscribed/.
In addition, Tusla Education Support Services (TESS) the Educational Welfare Service is the legal body which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school placement for their child. Contact details for TESS are available at the following link www.tusla.ie/tess/get-in-touch/ or by email at tessinfo@tusla.ie.
Teaching Council of Ireland
Questions (367)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:367. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education the reason that a person (details supplied) who has a secondary school job awaiting them, and which they cannot commence due to the fact that they have been waiting over two months for the Teaching Council to complete their registration; if she can assure the person and others in the same predicament that their registration will be completed post-haste; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61965/22]
View answerWritten answers
The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for the teaching profession, which promotes and regulates professional standards in teaching. The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. The Council registers teachers under five routes of registration namely, Route 1 - Primary, Route 2 - Post-primary, Route 3 - Further Education, Route 4 - Other and Route 5 - Student Teacher. The minimum registration requirements for each route are set out in the Schedule of the regulations.
The Teaching Council advise on their website that the assessment and registration process for teachers who qualified outside of Ireland may take up to 12 weeks or 6-8 weeks for those who qualified in Ireland from receipt of all application documentation and depending on the time of year. Those wishing to register are advised to apply for registration in advance of their planned return to or commencement of teaching. The vetting process may take up to 6 weeks, so applicants are advised to apply for registration at least 12 weeks in advance of their planned return to (or commencement of) teaching.
The Teaching Council have advised that the individual referred to submitted the application for registration under in early November, and registration has now been granted.
The Council had been liaising with the individual in question in November in respect of outstanding documentation for her vetting application including ‘Proof of Address’ dated within the last six months and overseas police clearance from three countries. Applicants for registration who have lived overseas for a cumulative period of 12 months or more after the age of 18 must provide a photocopy of police clearance for each country in which they have resided.
In cases where such clearance cannot be obtained, a GV01 form (Sworn Declaration) is acceptable in lieu of the police clearances. (The Council reserves the right to seek a sworn declaration where a satisfactory police/criminal records disclosure is not available).
This was submitted as required, in order to satisfy statutory vetting requirements and complete the registration.
Special Educational Needs
Questions (368)
Alan Kelly
Question:368. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Education if she will review the contents of an educational file (details supplied); her views on whether this child is entitled to more SET support than is currently being offered; if her Department would be in a position to allocate additional support to the school to support this call; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61986/22]
View answerWritten answers
I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:
The Special Education Teaching (SET) allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s unique educational profile.
Under the allocation model, schools have been provided with a total allocation for special education needs support based on their school profile.
Special Education Teachers provide additional teaching support for students with special educational needs enrolled in mainstream classes in primary and post-primary schools.
The SET allocation model has been in place since 2017. The allocation model, which was recommended by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), is designed to distribute the total available number of Special Education Teachers across primary and post-primary schools based on the relative need of each school, as evidenced by a number of key indicators.
The SET model is a fairer and more transparent way of allocating teaching resources to schools.
The SET model represented a significant shift in the way that students with SEN are supported in mainstream classes. Previously, students needing additional teaching support required a diagnosis in order to access support which caused delays in providing the support and also imposed a burden on both schools and parents. The change in policy was welcomed by both schools and parents. The Model is based on the principle that those students with the greatest need receive the most support.
When the SET model was introduced, it was designed to be updated on a regular basis (most recent update was for 2022/2023 school year) so as to distribute the total available resources across the school system based on profiled need. Because the level of student need may change in a school over time, some schools will gain under this distribution, with these gains balanced by equivalent reductions in schools where the model indicates reduced need. Re-profiling is the means of ensuring that new or increasing need in schools is met by transfer/redistribution of teaching resources from other schools whose need has reduced as shown by the model.
Both my Department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) are committed to ensuring that all schools are treated equally and fairly in the manner in which their school profiles have been calculated.
A process is available where schools can seek a review of their allocations by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), including the utilisation of their allocations, in circumstances where a school considers that very exceptional circumstances have arisen subsequent to the development of the profile.
If a school wishes to make an exceptional needs review appeal they may do so at the following link: ncse.ie/for-schools.
The exceptional review process is managed solely by the NCSE. My Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.
My Department encourages parents and school authorities to engage locally regarding pupils' education. Parents who have concerns regarding the manner in which the resources or supports which have been provided to support their child's education are being applied in school should, in the first instance, raise this matter directly with their school Principal or the Board of Management of the school.
The NCSE offers support for parents through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENO). All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.