Results 5,681-5,700 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Departmental Surveys: Departmental Surveys (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy refers to the report, Irish in Primary Schools: National Trends in Achievement, 1985-2002, by Dr. John Harris. The report considers standards of spoken Irish among sixth class pupils based on surveys of spoken Irish carried out in 1985 and 2002. Arrangements for the publication of the report by my Department are ongoing since the receipt of the final report at the latter end of...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funded 25 Irish language courses, involving over 600 participants, which were provided as part of the 2005 summer course programme for primary teachers in line with the requirements of the revised primary curriculum. The 25 Irish language courses can be divided into two main categories: 20 courses had as their focus the teaching of all aspects of Irish in primary classrooms...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I have requested the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, to review the subject syllabuses for the leaving certificate as the major next step in advancing its proposals for senior cycle reform. One purpose of reviewing subjects is to rebalance knowledge content in order to accommodate key skills such as critical and creative thinking and learning how to learn. Another is to...

Written Answers — Departmental Surveys: Departmental Surveys (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The inspectorate in my Department carried out an evaluation of the teaching and learning of Irish at junior cycle level in 75 schools during the years 2004 and 2005. The 75 schools were chosen on a geographical basis with 15 schools in each of the five inspectorate regions of the country. Schools were selected by type — secondary, vocational, community and comprehensive schools, schools in...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The assessment of Irish for the junior certificate includes provision for an optional oral examination which may be conducted by the class teacher in accordance with guidelines issued by the State Examinations Commission. The decision on whether or not to avail of this option is taken at school level. The syllabus for junior certificate Irish places strong emphasis on developing communicative...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides funding to schools recognised for the purposes of the Education Act 1998. The basis for recognising new primary schools derives from the provisions of the Education Act which allow a prospective patron to seek approval for a school that reflects the characteristic spirit of the sponsor. More recently through establishing the new school advisory committee my Department...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: There are currently 736 second-level schools in the country. It is not easy to provide a reliable number of impending amalgamations at any given time as the process for amalgamation can take many years to complete the stages involved, from initial feasibility discussions through to school community consultation to agreement and finally to the implementation of the decision.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The number of school principals appointed in the voluntary secondary and community and comprehensive schools in the 2004-05 school year was 49.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: A total of 146 new principals have been appointed in primary schools since the 1 September 2005, the beginning of the current school year.

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The standard rate of capitation grant per pupil from 1997 to date at primary level is as follows: Year 1996-97 —£45.00 (€57.14) Year 1997-98 —£50.00 (€63.49) Year 1998-99 —£60.00 (€76.18) Year 1999-00 —£64.00 (€81.26) Year 2000-01 —£75.50 (€95.87) Year 2001-02 —€105.00 Year 2002-03 —€111.58 Year 2003-04 (January) —€121.58 Year 2004-05 (January)...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 347 and 348 together. In the school year 2003-04, which is the last one for which there are published statistics, there were 186,597 students enrolled in secondary schools; some 70,775 students enrolled in VEC schools, including community colleges, and 50,946 enrolled in community and comprehensive schools. These figures exclude PLC students. The figures for...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: DEIS, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, the new action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme, SSP. The SSP will bring together a number of existing interventions in schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage and build upon them. Approximately 600 primary...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As part of the expansion of the devolved scheme for primary school building works, a grant of €450,000 was sanctioned to enable the management authorities of the school in question to provide additional accommodation. 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...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The proposed new eight-classroom building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The new school is as a result of the amalgamation of Kilworth girls and Kilworth boys national schools. My Department's officials wrote to the school authorities on the 23 September 2005 giving approval to proceed to stage 3 — detailed plans and costs...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 353 and 356 together. My Department has received a further report from the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, on the application in question. This is currently being considered and my officials will revert to the NCSE if further information is required. My officials will notify all relevant parties when a decision on the application has been made. I...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 355 and 357 together. I wish to inform the Deputies that discussions are ongoing with the school authorities in question as regards a possible rationalisation or re-configuration of primary educational facilities in the area concerned. The next meeting between the schools and officials in the planning section of my Department is scheduled for 2 March 2006. I...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to inform the Deputy that new schools commence operation with provisional recognition from my Department. During the period of provisional recognition, it is the responsibility of the school patron to provide interim accommodation. This accommodation must be capable of fully meeting the needs of the developing school until permanent recognition has been secured and my Department is in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the Dublin school planning committee acts as an initial point of contact where the local authorities can signal to my Department and the patron bodies anticipated demand for future school provision. Detailed discussions regarding reservation of sites and scale and timeframe for developments also take place at this forum. Arising from this process, a site for...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The draft area development plan for the north Kerry area will be published very shortly. The plan will cover educational provision in the Tralee, Ballybunion, Causeway, Tarbert, Listowel and Castleisland areas. This new model for planning for educational infrastructure is designed to ensure that, in future, school provision will be decided after a transparent consultation process. In this...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Major improvements in school staffing have been made in recent years with the hiring of more than 5,000 additional primary teachers. This represents the largest increase in teacher numbers since the expansion of free education. Today there is one teacher for every 17 children, the lowest pupil-teacher ratio in the history of the State. Aside from decreasing average class size, the...