Results 6,441-6,460 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: All Programme for Government commitments to improve public services are contingent on the economic and budgetary environment and the need for prudent expenditure and fiscal management. The commitment in relation to increasing the number of release days for teaching principals and expanding the pilot scheme of substitute cover for principals release days can only be looked at and considered...

Written Answers — In-service Training: In-service Training (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Since 2003 the Leadership Development for Schools Programme (LDS) has expanded the range of supports and services that it offers to school leaders and over 9000 teachers from principals to middle managers have successfully completed LDS module programmes such as Misneach, Spreagagh, Forbairt, Tánáiste, Cumasú and Cothú. This investment has now led us to a point where there are structured...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: This is one of a number of commitments which are being advanced under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council, which is the agreed forum for dealing with the pay and conditions of service of Teachers. The Parties to the forum include representatives of the managerial authorities of schools, the teacher unions and the Departments of Education & Science and Finance. The purpose is to...

Written Answers — Information and Communications Technology: Information and Communications Technology (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department continues to seek to reduce the administrative overhead for schools through the use of information technology most notably in providing on-line facilities to streamline the collection of data and reduce the number of manual tasks. The esinet portal through which these on-line services are delivered already provides an On-Line Claims System (OLCS) which allows each primary school...

Written Answers — In-service Training: In-service Training (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Intensive training for boards of management at both primary and post primary level has been taking place since 2007. The essential core areas that are covered in the training are Financial Management, Child Protection Guidelines, Health & Safety, Employment Law and Human Resource Management. Other areas that are covered in training include Background Information re: the Education System,...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1171 and 1173 together. The Government is committed to promoting appropriate levels of exercise for our children and young people – both in their communities and at school. In a new school building or refurbishment/extension, PE facilities are included as an intrinsic part of the design. A special PE funding package of €6.5 million issued in 2006 to...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In accordance with the Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools, all second-level schools should provide Physical Education as part of the curriculum. The programme that each school plans and delivers should be based on my Department's approved syllabuses and the teaching hours should be registered in the school timetable. The syllabuses have been developed on the basis of a time allocation...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department makes a specific allocation of teaching posts in respect of guidance to schools in the second level system. This allocation is based on the pupil enrolment in September of the preceding school year. As a result of the decision to allocate an additional 100 posts to guidance from September 2005 an enhanced guidance allocation provision has been put in place from the commencement...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I believe that schools have a role to play both in teaching students about road safety issues and in helping them to develop the attitudes necessary to promote safe behaviour on the roads. The Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme, which is mandatory in primary schools and at junior cycle level, provides a framework under which the generic values and skills which underpin...

Written Answers — Stay Safe Programme: Stay Safe Programme (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Continuing Professional Development to support the implementation of the Stay Safe programme is provided by the Child Abuse Prevention Programme (CAPP). Results of a survey on the uptake of Stay Safe carried out by CAPP and my Department in 2006 showed that at that time: 2,514 schools (84.19%) were providing the programme; 472 (15.81%) were not providing the programme; and 263 schools (8.8%)...

Written Answers — Student Councils: Student Councils (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Education Act, 1998 provides for the establishment of student councils, intending them to play an integral and important role in the post-primary school community. Student councils provide a representative structure through which students can debate issues of concern and undertake initiatives of benefit to the school and wider community. Section 27 of the Act, requires Boards of...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The NCCA proposals for reform envisaged re-structuring of senior cycle programmes into subjects, short courses and Transition Units, a strengthening of practical project and portfolio assessment, a spread of assessment events with subjects having two assessment components, and embedding of key skills into subjects. In response, the then Minister Mary Hanafin. T.D. welcomed the embedding of...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The proposals of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment for reform of senior cycle envisaged a re-structuring of programmes into subjects, short courses and transition units. The Council proposed the development of Transition Units as 45 hour units of study which would provide a broad range of experiences for learners, incorporating innovative methodologies and supporting the...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As part of the multi-annual school building programme, the Government has invested heavily in the modernisation of school facilities throughout the country including science facilities in post-primary schools. Provision of science facilities is an intrinsic part of all major projects at post-primary level. Schools have also received devolved capital grants under the Summer Works and...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Schools at both primary and second level use strategies such as curriculum differentiation, curriculum enrichment and acceleration to facilitate the development of pupils who are exceptionally able. Recently devised syllabi and curricula for second-level schools have been designed in such a way to enable teachers cater for the wide range of pupil ability. The revised primary curriculum, which...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are currently 221 schools/centres offering the Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP), and the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) is currently offered in some 380 schools/centres and taken by around 6% of students each year. The DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) Action Plan for Educational Inclusion provides for extended access to the JCSP for second-level schools...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: With regard to the summer courses in Irish for primary school children in designated disadvantaged schools, these commenced on a pilot basis in 2007 and are referred to as Campaí Samhraidh. Children's command of Irish is improved through participation in a range of activities, including music, arts and crafts and games, conducted through the medium of Irish. The programmes are developed by...

Written Answers — Information and Communications Technology: Information and Communications Technology (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The curriculum in schools is devised on the basis that ICT is not a subject but rather a tool to be integrated into the teaching and learning of all subjects. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has developed an ICT framework which sets out a structured approach to ICT in curriculum and assessment. This sets out the types of learning appropriate for students during the period...

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department issued Circular 0138/2006 in December 2006 to primary schools requesting that they ensure that standardised testing is implemented on an annual basis for all pupils in English reading and Mathematics at the end of first class or the beginning of second class, and at the end of fourth class or the beginning of fifth class, beginning in the calendar year 2007. The introduction of...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The National Educational Psychologist Service currently has a staffing complement of 159 psychologist staff distributed over some 22 regional and local offices nationwide. As the Deputy is aware, in regard to further improving the service to schools, I was pleased to announce recently, an increase in the funding available to NEPS which will allow for the recruitment of additional...