Results 3,161-3,180 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: ââdue to them under the staffing schedules.
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: That is particularly relevant at post-primary level where the appeals process considers in particular any specific curricular needs of the school concerned. At primary level the final allocation to a school is also a function of the operation of the redeployment panels which provide for the retention of a teacher in the existing school if a new post is not available within the agreed terms of...
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: ââand build in the arrangements for ensuring that teachers who are surplus in one post-primary school can be moved to meet the needs of other post-primary schools. We already have about 200 over quota posts in schools, which means some schools have posts they are not entitled to under the existing staffing arrangements.
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Ultimately, having a working redeployment scheme at post-primary is about bringing about a situation where schools are treated on an equitable basis across the second level system, each school has the number of teachers it is entitled to and no one school is being disadvantaged while another is substantially over quota. The dynamics of the teacher allocation process are more complex at...
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Since 2003, when those improvements for substitution cover were first introduced, we have spent dramatically more on substitution. Much of that additional spending will be retained with the 37 hour supervision scheme being maintained. I am aware that from January the changes regarding substitution will present particular challenges for school managers but we felt that suspending part of the...
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I have left the payment to individual teachers in place and for the moment suspended the cover for uncertified sick leave and school business. Prior to 2003, schools managed without any of that provision and this did not impede their capacity to participate, for example, in football and other sports competitions. I fully accept that was possible through flexibility and goodwill all round. As...
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Schools that require language support will still be entitled to get it. However, the budget measures will mean that the level of that support will be reduced to a maximum of two teachers per school, as was the case before 2007. We still envisage having over 1,400 language support teachers in our schools in September 2009 and up to about 500 other teachers in part-time posts. By any...
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: This will be done on a case-by-case basis.
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The allocation process for language support teachers is annual in nature and existing provision is not rolled out automatically. Schools will be applying afresh in the spring and early summer of 2009 for the 2009-10 school year, based on their assessment of the prospective needs of existing pupils and any new pupils that will be enrolling. At post-primary level, each school management...
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: It is also important to recognise the significant improvements that have been made in the staffing of second level schools in recent years. The overall pupil-teacher ratio fell from 13.9:1 in the 2001-02 school year to 13.1:1 in the 2006-07 year. In the 2001-02 school year, there were approximately 24,500 whole-time equivalent teaching posts allocated to second level schools. For 2006-07,...
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Significant progress has also been made at primary level during the past decade or so, when the country was able to afford it.
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I remind Deputy Quinn that teachers were allocated on the basis of 35:1 when his party was last in government.
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: This begs the question as to whether there was a crisis at that stage.
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Class sizes have been lowered by reducing the average number of pupils per teacher from 35 in 1996-97 to the current level of 27. Significant additional supports have also been provided and we have reduced class sizes in the most disadvantaged of our DEIS schools. During the last school year almost 80% of children attending primary school were in classes with fewer than 30 pupils. With...
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Will the Leas-Cheann Comhairle indicate if I am running over time?
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: When one considers the OECD report and various international comparisons, it is clear that Ireland is doing well.
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: In order that we might get the facts right, according to the programme for international student surveys, PISA, Irish 15 year olds have consistently achieved among the highest scores of those surveyed in respect of reading literacy.
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: In 2006, we were sixth overall and second only to Finland within the EU. Improvements have been significant in that area.
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: It is possible to say "estimations" in the English language.
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: In July, I said there would be a 3% adjustment.