Results 8,781-8,800 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Schools Building Projects. (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: It shows that with new initiatives we are moving ahead and making progress.
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 152 together. In order to ensure that children whose first language is not English can succeed at school, my Department gives additional support to their schools which can take the form of financial assistance, additional teaching posts or portions of teacher posts. The level of extra financial or teaching support provided to any school is determined by...
- Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The latest figures available to my Department show that in the 2005/06 school year the vast majority of schools were offering biology while a large proportion of schools offered the other science subjects. The precise numbers are as follows: 691 schools offered biology, 554 offered physics, 550 offered chemistry, 193 offered Applied Mathematics, and 69 offered the joint Physics & Chemistry...
- Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, significant improvements have been made in science education at second level in recent years. A revised and much more practically-focused syllabus in Junior Certificate Science was introduced in 2003 and examined for the first time in June 2006, its introduction was supported by â¬16 million in grants to schools; Revised syllabi in Leaving Certificate Physics,...
- Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I should explain for the benefit of the House that traditionally, responsibility for acquiring school sites rested with patron bodies. In 1999 the then Minister took the decision that the Department would purchase sites for new schools where patron bodies were unable or unwilling for whatever reason to do so. However, the option remains for a Patron Body to purchase a school site if it...
- Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 64 together. The latest information available to my Department on the number of schools offering music relates to the 2005/06 school year. Some 501 second-level schools offered music in junior cycle in 2005/06. Of these, 67 are single sex boys schools, 148 are single-sex girls schools, and 286 are mixed-sex schools. Some 449 second-level schools...
- Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (28 Nov 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 outcomes at every level of the system for disadvantaged groups. The wide variety of measures in place for tackling educational disadvantage and social exclusion reflect these concerns. These measures range from pre-school interventions,...
- Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 53, 54, 80 together. All primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the NEPS or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are available on my Department's website. Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, there are now no fewer than 4,000 extra primary teachers, compared with 2002. Furthermore, there are nearly 7,000 more primary teachers than there were in 1997. The average class size in our primary schools is now 24. With the unprecedented increases in support staff, there is now one teacher for every 17 primary school children â down from one for 22....
- Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (28 Nov 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 DEIS plan states that as well as provision being made for schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage, financial support will also continue to be provided...
- Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Ongoing evaluation is seen as an intrinsic aspect of a quality schools' psychological service. Within NEPS, the strategy for evaluation includes a number of elements including self-review by psychologists of their work using a range of instruments. Business Planning process applies to NEPS as to all areas of the Department and at individual level the Performance Management and Development...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: My Department considers that children with autism, in common with all children should have access to appropriate provision delivered by suitably qualified teachers within the school system where children can mix with their wider peer group and have maximum opportunities for integration. The preferred approach to the provision of appropriate education for children with autism is through the...
- Written Answers — Multi-Denominational Schools: Multi-Denominational Schools (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: School building projects are selected for inclusion in the School Building and Modernisation Programme on the basis of priority of need using published criteria. A significant number of new multi-denominational schools are established in rapidly developing areas. All infrastructural projects in these areas, regardless of ethos, are assigned a band 1 priority status under the criteria....
- Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that earlier this month I announced a special â¬6.5m package for primary schools to renew PE equipment. This special PE funding package of â¬6.5 million was issued last week to all 3,200 primary schools. Under the package, every school received â¬2,000 towards the cost of replacing and upgrading PE equipment in their school. This grant was issued, as a...
- Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: All primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the NEPS or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are available on my Department's website. Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby the school can have an assessment carried...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: This Government has accelerated the school building programme with record levels of investment and the streamlining of delivery systems. School building projects are prioritised in accordance with published criteria and those in rapidly developing areas are assigned the highest priority. Innovations in the delivery of school buildings such as Generic Repeat Designs and the use of the Design...
- Written Answers — Library Grants: Library Grants (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: It is a matter for each Local Authority to provide a library service for primary schools in its area. While my Department has no involvement in the actual operation of this service, it does make a grant available to each Local Authority on an annual basis to enable Local Authority Librarians select, purchase, and deliver books to the primary schools in its area. The grant is based on the...
- Written Answers — Standardised Testing: Standardised Testing (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 163 together. I believe that standardised testing, carried out 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. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has recommended to me...
- Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 131 together. There are 59 fee-charging second level schools in the country; of which 1 is Jewish, 21 Protestant, 2 inter-denominational and the balance Catholic. Applications for funding under the Summer Works Scheme 2006 were approved in respect of 15 fee-charging schools at a cost expected to be â¬1.395m. This is 1.78% of the total estimated cost...
- Written Answers — School Facilities: School Facilities (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the Project Agreement for the School Bundle Pilot PPP project each school retains an 'availability bank' of hours which it may utilise outside the normal school core opening hours (8.00 am to 5:30 pm). The cost of providing the school buildings and services for these hours is included in the contract structure therefore additional costs do not accrue to the school. The...