Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It was, in effect. It had an effect on getting clarity. One of the two unions, the Teachers Union of Ireland, TUI, had voted for the acceptance of the Haddington Road agreement, but the advice I received, which I accepted, was that to try to attempt to do something in the context of the ASTI standing back and not balloting its members until September was likely to jeopardise constructive talks, so we were unable to commence them. It was not that the union refused to talk or that we deliberately stopped talking to its representatives. We believed that given the context it would have been prejudicial, perhaps, to an overall outcome in that regard. It was a judgment call rather than a hard decision. Nevertheless, I accepted that judgment and I am responsible for the final decision.

Notwithstanding that, it is expected that there will be meetings of the group, starting from last Friday, every three to four weeks over the next few months and thereafter while the new junior cycle is being phased in. In that context, three sub-groups have been established to address: continual professional development; assessment or moderation, as both words are used - that is, how one measures and assesses students as distinct from examinations; and resources for schools. This new working group will be a forum where the concerns of the parents, including the teachers, can be heard. The concerns raised can be addressed through dialogue, to enable the successful implementation of junior cycle reform to proceed over the next number of years. The sub-group on resources is due to meet next Friday, 24 January. The next meeting of the group is scheduled for 7 February.

This builds on the regular engagement and meetings with education partners since the launch of the framework in October 2012. The talks have not started now. They are a continuation of talks that commenced after the launch in 2012. The working group is made up of representatives from the parent bodies, management bodies, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, officials from the Department of Education and Skills, and the two teachers' unions ASTI and TUI. Since this is the junior cycle, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, INTO, is not involved.

Originally, English teachers were to receive three days of continual professional development, and Deputy McConalogue referred to this. This has now been extended to four and a half days. Other subjects will be provided with an additional day, which is an increase from three days to four days. In addition, a whole-school day will be provided each year, so the whole-school team can have continual professional development together and develop a whole-school approach to the implementation of the new framework. This means that the school will close for pupils, but will remain open for the teaching and support staff to devote the entire day to discussing the items I have just described.

The NCCA will provide schools will resource materials. The teachers' education centres around the country, numbering approximately 12, will provide additional elective opportunities for continual professional development, CPD. Teachers can go to these centres and participate in CPD courses. The Department will continue to fund subject associations, such as the History Teachers' Association of Ireland and Association of Teachers of English, so they, too, can augment the opportunities available to teachers. It is not just three days increasing by one and a half days. Additional facilities are being made available as well.

I will turn now to the phasing-in of the junior cycle. Change for the junior cycle will happen in a planned and measured way. We will assess progress as we go along and if we can report good progress, we might consider speeding it up or if we are running into difficulties, we can slow it down. That is built into the system. Phasing-in as proposed in the framework for the junior cycle has been changed from what was originally planned. Only English will be introduced in September this year.

The phasing-in of the other subjects will be lengthened so that there will be fewer subjects coming on in each year over the next seven years. The final suite of subjects will be introduced for first years entering the system in the year 2019-2020. We believe it will allow schools more time to adjust and will ensure that the pace of change does not outstrip the system's capacity to absorb it.
In order that areas of concern can be given adequate time for resolution it is now proposed that the pace of the roll-out of reform be amended as follows, and I can make the documentation available to Deputies should they so wish. For the start of the next academic year, 2014-15, which will commence in September, a revised English curriculum will be introduced for students entering first year next September 2014. Short courses will be introduced only for those schools that are happy to do so in September 2014. Deputies will be aware that when the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment tried to test this particular junior cycle reform it asked for co-operation from participating schools. It sought 40 schools to participate in the exercise in order to get a spread of schools and received 120 applications. That proves that there was a lot of interest in the scheme. It is anticipated that the schools that have experience of working the system are likely to want to use short subjects. There is no compulsion on any school to use short subjects and it is a matter for themselves to decide. For young students with learning difficulties, level 2 priority learning units will be available to schools that wish to implement them. It will be the first time that we have a grade for students with clear learning difficulties. That is what shall happen in 2014-2015.
In 2015-2016, the following year, when these young people start second year, what has happened will be added to, namelya revised science curriculum will be introduced for students entering first year in September 2015 rather than a group of three subjects as was previously planned. We had planned to introduce three but we slowed it down to one, which is science.
In 2016-2017, the following year, revised curriculums in business studies and Irish will be introduced for students commencing in September 2016 and not the original year of 2015.
Standardised testing in English and mathematics will take place in the spring of 2017 - the junior certificate exam month. The testing will be introduced in spring of 2017 for second year students and I am sorry to have misled the committee on the matter.
Members will be familiar with standard testing of students in primary school taking place at second class, fourth class and sixth class. Now, for the first time, there will be standardised testing in second year, as well as another group. It will be introduced and will complement the assessment work that has been done under the Programme for International Student Assessment, PISA. It will provide a regular snapshot of where we are nationally in terms of standards achieved at both primary and secondary levels. The measure will be introduced in 2016-2017. At the end of that year a review will be carried out to see if the pace of change in the junior cycle reform is either too slow or too fast.
In 2017-2018, revised curriculums in two rather than four further subject areas will be introduced. These are as follows - art, craft and design; modern languages to be introduced for students commencing first year in September 2017 which was originally scheduled for 2016; standardised testing in science and Irish to be introduced in 2018 for second year students rather than 2017 as intended or planned; and finally - and I can answer supplementary questions on the following matter later - in the years 2018-2019 and 2019-20, for commencement purposes, revised curriculums will be introduced over two years and the subjects to be included - again I mean subjects starting in first year so the completion will be two years further down - will be home economics, music, geography and mathematics, technology subjects, religious education, Jewish studies, classics and history. I can give some other information but I do not wish to take up too much time.
I shall quickly go through the other items that were raised. Deputy McConalogue raised questions about savings on pensions. In the superannuation payments there was a €50 million underspend and the overall 2013 Estimate for superannuation awards was €1.128 billion. It has been extremely difficult to forecast retirement numbers in recent years due to the introduction of a number of retirement incentives. Experience has shown that only 10% of teachers retire on age grounds which means we can only predict up to a maximum of 10% based on age. After that retirement depends on the will of the teacher, the number of years served and their entitlements. We have no way of knowing the figure.
In 2012 there were 3,300 retirements in the education sector. The 2013 allocation provided for approximately 2,200 retirements while the actual number of people retiring in 2013 appears to be 1,600. Hence, the underspend against the Estimate in the first instance.
Deputy McConalogue also mentioned resource teachers. The overall level of learning support and resource teaching support for pupils with special educational needs has increased this year. In June despite increased demand for low incidence resource teaching the National Council for Special Education was authorised to make resource teaching allocations at the same level as 2012-2013 - in other words, 85% of the recommended Special Education Review Committee allocations. The decision resulted in the subsequent allocation of an additional 455 posts in October - referred to by the Deputy - to maintain resource teaching provision at the same level as last year. More than 5,700 resource teaching posts have now been sanctioned by the NCSE for the 2013-14 school year. Additionally there were 4,160 posts allocated to primary schools under the general allocation model which is inclusive of English language support. There were 650 permanent learning support posts at post-primary level and approximately 235 additional permanent learning and behavioural support posts. This brings the total to over 10,700 learning support and resource teachers in schools in the current school year, which is a greater number of posts than at any time previously.
I have dealt with SNAs and visas. Deputy O'Brien also raised an SNA issue. I can inform him that the value for money report and policy review of the SNA scheme report have been addressed and implemented as follows. First, as part of the national programme for recovery, a cap on the number of wholetime equivalent SNA posts in schools came into force in September 2011 which limited overall SNA numbers under the scheme. Second, all SNA posts are now subject to an annual review. Third, there is an annual allocation for schools to apply for SNA support. Fourth, schools are issued with a quantum of SNA support to provide for the care needs of qualifying individual children. Fifth, there is an ongoing monitoring of all SNA numbers throughout the year. Sixth, NCSE circulars 01/11 and 02/11 issued details to schools on the criteria surrounding allocations and the timeframes for applying SNA support to pupils.
Seventh, the circulars set out that an annual allocation and review process for SNA support would be put in place, detailed the care needs which would be considered as priority needs for SNA support and set out the measures which should be taken into account in arriving at a level of SNA allocation to schools, including the development and implementation of specific learning or behavioural programmes following assessment of needs and strengths.
Finally, circular 71/2011, relates to the implementation of the Croke Park agreement for SNAs. It sets out revised employment terms and conditions for SNAs. It restated the provisions of the scheme to include the necessary duties required to support the care needs of deaf and hard of hearing pupils and blind and visually impaired pupils. The Department intends to issue a new circular for the SNA scheme early in 2014 which will restate the scheme and will clarify for parents and schools the intended purpose of the scheme. It will also implement any of the outstanding recommendations of the value for money report and the review of the SNA scheme, in conjunction with the NCSE recommendations in relation to the provision of SNA support contained in the policy advice papers on supporting children with special educational needs in schools and the provision of education for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, or provision for education for pupils with emotional behavioural disorders. I have just been told that we have increased the cap regarding that matter.

The number of SNAs has increased - we answered that question yesterday.

Deputy McConalogue raised the question of the residential institutions statutory fund. That body is open for business although we had some delays in getting off the ground. A new chairperson is due to replace the current chairperson, who is retiring on health grounds. There is a vacancy because of the resignation of one of the members representing the survivors' groups and it must be filled. I hope it will be done next week. The body, its chief executive and the board have agreed application forms for applications for support within the terms of the legislation. The forms are available, which is being communicated to the relevant bodies, and I understand applications are beginning to come in.

With regard to private fees, we have had meetings for a number of weeks with Gormanston College. The decision was taken by the patron of the college and the board of management to come into the free fees scheme. It will be treated as a start-up school. The school was established in 1958 as a single sex boarding school. It is now a co-ed with a small number of boarders. There were internal difficulties, as evidenced in the whole school evaluation, WSE, report. The school has a new principal and the numbers had dropped from approximately 450 to 205. With the advice of the Department, I have decided to accept the school into the free scheme on the basis that the school is on the borders of Meath and north County Dublin, which is an area of population growth. We will need its capacity to provide additional projected numbers over the coming years. It is joining the scheme on that basis and it will be treated as a start-up school. If there are pupils who have the expectation of doing a certain subject for leaving certificate or junior certificate and it entails a teacher providing teaching in a subject, those undertakings will be maintained in a transitional phase. The expectation is that there will be enough population demand in the area to justify it. We would otherwise have had to build a new school. The cost of a post-primary school with a capacity of 700 to 1,000 pupils, including the site cost, is of the order of €12 million. That was the background that informed the decision.

The Minister of State, Deputy Ciaran Cannon, will discuss high-speed broadband.