Results 741-760 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

School Accommodation. (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware that the board of management, contrary to the wishes of its patron, is opposed to growing the facility. However, all other schools would be asked to expand to meet such a need and it is in that context that the Gaelscoil is being asked to do so. In this instance the Department owns the site which means that we are not obliged to search for another site on which to build a second...

School Accommodation. (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department recently approved the provision of temporary accommodation for the school in question in respect of its additional accommodation requirements for September 2005. Officials from my Department visited this school on 26 January and agreed a proposed location on the site for the temporary accommodation. My Department's technical staff, who will manage the delivery of this temporary...

School Accommodation. (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As a result of uncertainty, until this year the Gaelscoil had no option but to limit its numbers. However, it also adopted the position that, as regards the 2005-06 year, it would not take on any more children. The Department wrote to the board of management stating that arrangements should be made for a three-stream intake in September 2005 and that accommodation would be provided to cater...

School Accommodation. (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Our intention is to progress each of the 122 projects as quickly as possible. Those encountering constraints as regards planning permissions will have to get their skates on. It is the responsibility of the schools to ready their documents for tender, employ architects etc. The Department will support them in that regard. It is our intention to have all under construction within the 12 to...

School Curriculum. (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 40 together. At primary level, physical education is one of the seven curriculum areas within the primary school curriculum which was revised in 1999. A minimum of one hour of physical education per week is recommended for all primary school pupils. In regard to equipment, the position is that this is a cost which falls to be met from the capitation...

School Curriculum. (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am not so sure the weather is so bad in Ireland that people cannot get out that much. We have just had the mildest winter in years. However, notwithstanding that, I have no immediate plans to make PE an exam subject. It is important that the degree of flexibility currently in place should be availed of, using the talents of the staff as well, while recognising that very many schools are...

School Curriculum. (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I know this will be a source of debate within the Department's building unit, but as regards the PE halls that have been developed, the Deputy may be aware a number of them have a balcony, which is enormously expensive in the context of a building programme. I understand from girls, however, that it is very successful because that is where the fitness suites are located. The girls are...

School Curriculum. (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As regards PE as a subject for the junior certificate, it is expected that it will be integrated into the curriculum. I am conscious of not overloading the curriculum even further with another exam subject. It might have to be looked at in the overall reform context. I confess I am increasingly conscious of schools that are looking for PE halls on the basis that other schools in a town have...

School Curriculum. (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My colleague, the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, Deputy O'Donoghue is very supportive of the provision of sports facilities for communities. Obviously, where that may be done in conjunction with education, it is the way forward. The difficulty is that the Department of Education and Science does not own most of the schools throughout the country. In general a board of management is in...

Standardised Testing. (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I have made no decision as regards the systematisation of testing in primary schools. In response to a request from my predecessor, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment is currently preparing advice on issues relating to standardised testing for pupils during their compulsory schooling. It is my intention to defer decisions until I am fully informed regarding the potential and...

Standardised Testing. (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The test should never be the only criteria used for allocating resources. It would be unfair as it would put undue pressure on children and on schools to perform or even to underperform to gain the resources. It would obviously feed in to our knowledge. Much of the evidence from the report to which the Deputy refers pointed to poor results on the basis of having no books at home and parents...

Standardised Testing. (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As there is a variety of testing used, it is not possible to use them to any great advantage. I have spoken to teachers in disadvantaged areas who would recommend different tests and who would like tests to be applied to the Irish situation. These are things which the council is examining.

Standardised Testing. (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy is incorrect. The pupil-teacher ratio for disadvantaged schools is much lower. Some classes have only a 15:1 ratio.

Standardised Testing. (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I hope to launch a disadvantage action plan shortly. It is not my intention to ensure that schools are designated as disadvantaged, based on medical card criteria. It will be much more expansive than that.

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 30 and 81 together. The NCCA proposals set out a vision for the type of school system which might exist by 2010. The proposals envisage a re-structured senior cycle curriculum consisting of transition units, short courses and subjects. The option of a two or three year cycle would be retained and the leaving certificate applied programme would continue as...

Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board as the single national body with responsibility for school attendance. The Act provides a comprehensive framework promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The general functions of the board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised school...

Written Answers — School Discipline: School Discipline (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has provided guidelines to boards of management to assist them in discharging their obligations in the area of school discipline. These guidelines, which issued in 1991, were drawn up following consultation with representatives of management, teachers and parents, and are sufficiently flexible to allow each school authority to adapt them to suit the particular needs of the...

Written Answers — Third Level Sector: Third Level Sector (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 73 together. The OECD review on the future of higher education in Ireland makes far reaching recommendations for reform and development of the sector. The extensive consultation undertaken by the OECD team with all the key stakeholders in the sector and their own undoubted expertise lend considerable weight to these recommendations. It is important to...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am very aware of the issue of bullying in schools and my Department has in place a multifaceted strategy to tackle the issue. The education of students in primary and post-primary schools in relation to anti-bullying behaviour is a central part of the social, personal and health education, SPHE, curriculum. SPHE is now a compulsory subject at primary level and in the junior cycle of...

Written Answers — Health and Safety in Schools: Health and Safety in Schools (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The board of management/manager of a school, following consultation between the principal and the staff, determines the duties which need to be performed by the holders of posts of responsibility for the effective internal management of the school and the distribution of these duties between the posts having regard to the school's own priorities. Among the duties which have been identified as...