Results 2,561-2,580 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Standardised Testing: Standardised Testing (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 77 and 86 together. As I have said before, I see great potential for a new system of standardised testing to provide valuable information which will help everyone involved in education — parents, teachers and policymakers — to play their part in enabling each child to reach his or her full potential. The results of standardised tests will help parents...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's approach to the increasingly diverse cultural and ethnic nature of the pupil base in our schools is twofold — to promote and facilitate the delivery of an intercultural education for all children and to provide the specific supports needed by children whose first language is not English to help them to succeed at school. Intercultural education revolves around respecting and...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In my reply to Parliamentary Question Number 55 of 26 April 2005 in relation to the availability of a statistical breakdown of grantholders by socio-economic background, I referred to the fact that the most recent data on participation rates at third level is that published in the HEA review of higher education participation in 2003, which showed that participation in higher education among...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, does not normally keep waiting lists of children requiring assessment in the sense of lists of names that are dealt with in chronological order. NEPS operates a staged assessment process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention, in consultation with its assigned NEPS...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: While it is true that more than 1,000 primary schools and 13% of post-primary schools do not have NEPS psychologists assigned to them, it is important to note that all schools have access to psychological assessments, either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, for those schools currently served by NEPS, or through the scheme for commissioning psychological...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The number of children availing of school transport services in a school year varies from time to time. However, the average number of children availing of school transport daily is 138,000. This includes approximately 8,000 children with special educational needs.

Written Answers — Vetting Procedures: Vetting Procedures (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A cross-governmental working group was established to put forward proposals for reform of vetting by the central vetting unit run by the Garda Síochána. Among its recommendations was the proposal that the Departments of Education and Science and Health and Children explore the possibility of developing an employment history register, similar to the PECS system in Northern Ireland. An...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department, at the invitation of a UK manufacturer, recently viewed a demonstrator bus at Bus Éireann's headquarters in Broadstone, Dublin. The bus was fitted with three seats on one of the aisle and two seats on the other. All seats were fitted with seat belts. In fact, this is the third demonstrator bus viewed by officials of my Department and Bus Éireann. The other two vehicles, which...

Written Answers — National Adult Literacy Council: National Adult Literacy Council (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The National Adult Learning Council was formed in March 2002 on an ad hoc basis with the intention that it would be established as a statutory body under section 54 of the Education Act 1998. Following the formation of the ad hoc council, concerns emerged that the functions envisaged for the council were too wide-ranging and were not sufficiently focused. Additionally, a number of...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 124 together. Legislation regarding the fitting and wearing of seat belts in public service vehicles including school buses is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Transport. EU Directive 2003/20 requires seat belts to be used where they are fitted. This directive must be transposed into national law by 9 May 2006. Separately, proposals...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS — Delivering Equality Of Opportunity In Schools — which I launched recently, aims to ensure that the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and effectively addressed. The plan provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My colleague, the Minister for Finance, provided a capital envelope of €555 million in respect of education PPPs for the period 2005 to 2009 and I am examining how this may be best utilised. This examination covers both schools and the third level sector. A key rationale underpinning the decision to proceed with the initial bundle of five schools was to test the PPP procurement method in...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware that the joint managerial body has stated that it will advise its member schools not to release teachers for examinations — oral and practical — and in-service training from September 2005. The JMB and the other management bodies have raised the need for new arrangements to be put in place for activities such as the examinations and in-service training to ensure that they take...

Written Answers — Teaching Profession: Teaching Profession (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: According to my Department's records, 180 male teachers were appointed for the first time as permanent or temporary qualified teachers at primary level in the 2003-04 school year; 184 such male teachers were appointed in the current school year, 2004-05. I am aware of the decreasing number of males entering the teaching profession and I know that the situation is particularly acute at primary...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 100 together. It is essential that our education system is positioned to maintain excellence, relevance, quality and inclusiveness in a changing climate. I have just launched DEIS, a focused five-year plan to combat educational disadvantage. It is important that the implementation of senior cycle reform would complement and further this work. The NCCA...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89, 137, 682, 783 and 784 together. The school referred to by the Deputy opened in September 1996 with provisional recognition. Having met the criteria for recognition and proven its viability, the school was granted permanent recognition in 2000. Standard practice is that the school authorities are responsible for the securing of interim accommodation which...

Written Answers — Children Act 2001: Children Act 2001 (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Part 10 of the Children Act 2001 relates to the governance and operation of children detention schools. Section 159(1) of the Act has been commenced for the purpose of allowing three representatives of children detention schools to be appointed to the Special Residential Services Board. However, Part 10 of the Act cannot be commenced more fully at this time as its effect will include...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 149 together. Completed data are not available for the current school year because a number of outstanding queries on returns from a small number of schools must be resolved before the current primary census is finalised. When the information is available I will forward it to the Deputy.

Written Answers — School Books: School Books (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Apart from a small number of prescribed texts at second level, mainly in the case of language subjects, school books are not approved or prescribed by my Department at first or second level. Decisions on which books to use are taken at school level. School authorities have been advised that book selections should be changed only to the extent that is necessary. However, text books have to be...

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The specific information requested by the Deputy is not available at present. However, the National Economic and Social Forum report of 2002 on early school leaving cited, as a broad estimate, that around 1,000 children do not transfer from primary to post-primary on an annual basis. There is some doubt attached to this estimated figure of 1,000, which may be an over-statement of the true...