Results 5,461-5,480 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

School Inspections. (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Some 641 subject inspections, including approximately 230 subject inspections to be carried out as part of whole-school evaluations, are planned for 2006. A totally revised format of subject inspection was introduced in September 2001. Since then, there has been a significant increase in the number of subject inspections carried out on an annual basis. In particular, inspection activity at...

School Inspections. (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: On the last point, I believe I answered a parliamentary question tabled by the Deputy last week, which stated the number is four. If that is incorrect, I can come back to the Deputy. However, the inspectorate will not be at full capacity until the end of the year because of training etc. During a whole school evaluation, one of the core subjects — Irish, English or mathematics — must...

School Inspections. (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My understanding is that the subject inspection is the teaching and learning of the subject. Obviously, that would have to include the way the subject is being taught and received at the other end, so to speak. On the inspections, candidates may be part of the whole school evaluation or may be involved in a stand-alone inspection. The next ones that are planned, which will be very useful, are...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Residential Institutions Redress Board was established under statute to provide financial redress to victims of child abuse in residential institutions to assist them in their recovery and enhance the quality of the remainder of their lives. The board provides an alternative to victims having to pursue traumatic civil court cases to obtain compensation for their injuries. The provisions...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The National Centre for Technology in Education, NCTE, issued questionnaires for its census of school information and communications technology, ICT, infrastructure for both primary and post-primary schools early last summer. The census follows similar exercises undertaken in 1998, 2000 and 2002 and addresses a range of areas, including the extent of ICT equipment, networking and Internet...

Written Answers — School Discipline: School Discipline (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 101 together. In January 2005, the National Educational Welfare Board, NEWB, issued guidelines to the management authorities of all primary and post-primary schools on reporting student absences and expulsions. These guidelines advise that the board of management must report its decision to expel a student to the NEWB. According to its analysis of the...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations; ensuring the preparation of examination papers and other examination materials; and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted, including the supervision of examinations. Notwithstanding this,...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Projected long-term enrolments at the school in question have dropped since the proposal for a new school was originally approved. In that context, it is important to confirm that provision of a new second level school is still warranted. To consider the matter thoroughly, a review of second level education provision in the area is underway in the school planning section of my Department....

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Department and the National Council for Special Education met with representatives of the school referred to by the Deputy on Wednesday, 1 February to discuss a range of issues. Following this meeting a comprehensive letter issued on 8 February to the school representatives outlining the Department's and NCSE's position on the various matters discussed at the meeting. The Department's...

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: This Government is strongly committed to achieving the highest possible standards of literacy for people of all ages. We see this as central to achieving our key objective of social inclusion and have put increased resources in place in recent years to this end. Targeted measures are now in place in schools, in the community and in the workplace to achieve this goal. At school level,...

Written Answers — Commercial Marketing in Schools: Commercial Marketing in Schools (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Commercial marketing in schools can take a variety of forms — from educational materials made available to schools by newspapers to companies offering schemes whereby products are given to the school on the basis of tokens collected by parents. It is at the discretion of management in individual schools to decide what commercial initiatives they want their school to engage with. Clearly...

Written Answers — Disruptive Students: Disruptive Students (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The task force completed its work and produced a final report with detailed recommendations in late January. I am considering the final report and its recommendations at present and I intend to publish the report in the near future. The Deputy will appreciate, however, that I would prefer not to comment further on particular aspects of the task force report until I have concluded my...

Written Answers — Garda Vetting Services: Garda Vetting Services (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Ensuring the protection, health and welfare of children is a key concern for the Government, for parents, for agencies that work with children and for society generally and the Government is determined to do all it can to keep our children and vulnerable adults safe. In the education sector, vetting is available in respect of prospective employees of children in detention schools as well as...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 141 together. The number of National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, psychologists has increased from 43 on establishment to 121 at present. The Public Appointments Service has recently established new recruitment panels for NEPS. Regional panels are now in place and my Department is currently in the process of appointing ten new psychologists....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Devolving funding to school management authorities allows them to have control of their projects, assists in moving projects more quickly to tender and construction and can also deliver better value for money. The two devolved initiatives, the small schools initiative and the permanent accommodation initiative, were originally introduced on a pilot basis due to the positive feedback from...

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The results of the "Succeeding in Reading" report are very encouraging in one respect as they show that Ireland's high reading standards have remained consistently high. I am concerned, however, about the poor reading achievement among many children attending school in disadvantaged areas. The Deputy may be aware that improving reading standards in disadvantaged schools is a core objective of...

Written Answers — School Evaluations: School Evaluations (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: During whole school evaluation at primary and post-primary levels, inspectors from the Department of Education and Science consult with the members of the school community, including parents, teachers, principal teacher and members of the board of management. In post-primary schools where student councils have been established, inspectors meet with the representatives of the students during a...

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: A key focus of the Government's education policy is to prioritise investment in favour of those most at risk and to optimise access, participation and educational outcomes at every level of the system for disadvantaged groups. The Government's commitment to achieving the highest possible standards of literacy both for those in school and for adults of all ages is set in the context of the...

Written Answers — Standardised Testing: Standardised Testing (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 98 together. I believe that standardised testing on a systematic basis has great potential to enhance the quality of teaching and learning for our students at classroom level and to provide valuable information for parents about their children's learning. It is also clear that test results, provided on a sampling basis, can also guide policies aimed at...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 140 together. According to statistical returns made to my Department, the number of primary school pupils in September 2004 in ordinary classes of more than 30 but less than 36 was 69,179. The corresponding figure for classes of more than 35 was 4,158. Significant improvements have been made in the pupil teacher ratio and in average class size in recent...