Results 6,841-6,860 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department contacted Kildare County Council, the awarding body in this case, and was advised that they are awaiting documentation from the college before they can finalise their decision regarding eligibility for funding in respect of a field trip. The candidate will be advised of the outcome of the decision by Kildare County Council as soon as it is reached.

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that since the McGuinness report was published, significant improvements have been made in the actual pupil teacher ratio at post primary. The ratio has fallen from 15.1:1 in the 1999/00 school year to 13.4:1 in the 2004/05 school year. The reduction in the pupil teacher ratio since 1997 was achieved through the creation of almost 1,800 new posts and the...

Bullying in Schools. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I too am concerned that any child would feel upset in school because of bullying, be it physical, verbal or cyber. I am anxious that all schools have effective practices in place both to prevent bullying and to deal with cases that may arise. As the Deputy will be aware, each school is required to have in place a policy that includes specific measures to deal with bullying behaviour, within...

Bullying in Schools. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: When we take together the work being done by the Department, the NEWB, the NCTE, the leadership development and the curriculum, we could say it is a national strategy. However, it must be implemented at a local school level through all the elements involved and through social, personal and health education. We can deal with the issue in two ways. We can deal with the bully and, more...

Bullying in Schools. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The strategy exists in effect, but it must be implemented at school level. We should not lose sight of the fact that a policy on bullying can only work if the children, the teachers, the principal, the parents and the board of management sign up to it. Each of these must be familiar with the terms and sanctions of the policy and of how it will be implemented within the school. There is no...

Bullying in Schools. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: A policy should be all-inclusive. Whether homophobic bullying should be given specific mention is for the school to decide, but it should be clear that no form of bullying will be tolerated within the school community.

State Examinations. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: There is potential to reform senior cycle education to ensure there is an emphasis on embedding key skills, such as critical thinking and information processing, and that assessment methods match learning objectives in each subject. I am conscious that if we review the assessment methods and provide for a second assessment component, where appropriate and feasible, we could reduce exam...

State Examinations. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The standard of the leaving certificate examination is well-recognised throughout the world. I do not intend to change the entire leaving certificate system to suit 14% of students. I will try to preserve its strengths for the 86% of students who go on to sit the examination. Obviously, I have to ensure the 14% of students who tend to fall out of the system and do not get an opportunity to...

State Examinations. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I agree. A change in the curriculum is urgently needed, of course.

State Examinations. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment should be looking at that. It should also consider bringing about a system in which there is a second assessment point. We need to give more marks for practical or oral elements of examinations. We are moving in that direction and of course I agree with it.

State Examinations. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: It is already happening. This year, for the first time, 35% of the marks in the junior certificate science examination will be awarded for practical work.

State Examinations. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: It has to build up, obviously. It is already happening in respect of languages. Not only do students take an oral examination, but they now also take an aural examination. I have asked the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment to ascertain whether 50% of the marks in the leaving certificate Irish examination could be awarded for the oral examination. That would change dramatically...

State Examinations. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I will start the process of implementation as soon as I get the recommendations, which will not happen until the beginning of next year. I hope I will still be around to implement them.

School Support Programme. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and for a new integrated school support programme. The school support programme will bring together and build on a number of existing interventions in schools with concentrated levels of disadvantage. The process of identifying primary and second level schools...

School Support Programme. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: First, I will outline how some schools were included while others were not. The information was provided by the schools themselves. The list was drawn up entirely objectively based on that information. It is fair to state that while some schools and areas used to be disadvantaged, they are no longer so by virtue of changing economic, employment and demographic circumstances. Similarly, some...

School Support Programme. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I did not answer one of the Deputy's questions regarding new schools. A mechanism exists whereby new schools can be included in the scheme. All schools have been told that they will lose nothing in the coming year. Thereafter, it will be decided in terms of their levels of socio-economic disadvantage. The Department chose to operate distinct urban and rural schemes for the reasons outlined by...

School Curriculum. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I have no plans to introduce driver education, in the form of driving lessons, in schools, and this is not the norm within the EU. As the Deputy will be aware, a report produced for the NCCA by an expert group which included representatives of the National Safety Council, the Garda Síochána, the Irish Insurance Federation, and the Society of the Irish Motor Industry indicated that the...

School Curriculum. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Tragically it is mostly young people who are involved in the accidents taking place. Obviously we should aim to encourage anything that schools can do to support young people in learning about responsibility, self-protection and care. I also see great potential within the transition year, with perhaps a structured modularised programme covering the rules of the road. Simulated driving...

School Curriculum. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am supportive of promoting the respect and responsibility of young drivers for themselves and others in transition year.

School Curriculum. (25 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: It is a fair point to ensure the theory matches the practice. The difficulty is how to do that, especially where a driving course is taught to a 15 year old in transition year who must wait two years before he or she can get behind the wheel of a car. I am anxious to do whatever I can within the education system to support the work of other Departments to protect young people. I am...