Results 9,861-9,880 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Student Retention Rates: Student Retention Rates (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The latest data published by my Department on retention rates in second-level schools relate to the cohort of entrants to the first year of junior cycle in 1996. Students in this cohort would have sat the Leaving Certificate in either 2001 or 2002, depending on whether they took the Transition Year Programme. The published data for the 1996 cohort indicate an average "unadjusted" retention...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and the Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. The Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has applied for additional accommodation under the Department's Permanent Accommodation Scheme 2007. I intend to announce the successful applicants shortly.

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The recent investment priorities under the ICT in Schools Programme have been the provision of networking grants to schools and the Schools Broadband Access Programme. Schools were invited to submit proposals for the development of their networking capability in June 2004 and grants totalling some €23m have since issued to schools. The roll-out of broadband connectivity to all recognised...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 492 and 502 together. An application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy and has been assessed. The long term projected staffing, on which the accommodation needs will be based, has been determined and notified to the school authority. My officials are in the process of drawing...

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A decision was taken by the Trustees of the school to which the Deputy refers that it will close in June 2007. This decision was taken because, in line with demographic changes in the area, the school has experienced a steady decline in enrolments in recent years. Current enrolments in feeder primary schools indicate that this decline will continue. In fact, a general decline in enrolments...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that all children, including those with autism receive an education appropriate to their needs, preferably through the primary and post primary school network. My Department is of the view that children with autism, in common with all children should have access to appropriate provision delivered by suitably qualified teachers within the...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Information in relation to class sizes is provided in the annual census of primary schools. The census for the current school-year (2006/07) is currently being worked on. Details on class size in primary schools will be available for Counties. Data by sub-county areas are not generally available due to the inordinate amount of work involved. Major improvements have been made in staffing at...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Since September 2003 Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is taught to all pupils in primary schools. Its aim is to foster personal development, health and well being of children, to help them create and maintain supportive relationships, and develop the skills and attitudes for responsible citizenship. From the beginning of their primary schooling children learn, in an...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The new building for the school in question is one of 54 major primary school building projects which I announced last November to proceed to tender and construction over the next 12 to 15 months. This programme will provide over 10,000 permanent school places to be delivered in new schools and a further 5,900 pupils will see facilities modernised with major extension projects. My Department...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: It is the policy of my Department to provide all new schools with access facilities and special toilets to cater for disabled students and teachers. In the architectural design of emergency evacuation routes, account is also taken of the requirements of students and teachers with disabilities. New schools with two storeys of more are provided with lifts. The school authorities are advised of...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application has been received in my Department, under the Small Schools Scheme 2007, from the school referred to by the Deputy. All applications received under this scheme are under consideration and the list of successful applicants will be published shortly.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has identified a potentially suitable c. 13 acre site for this school. Independent valuations have been received and my officials expect to be in contact with the owner's agent shortly to commence negotiations. When a suitable site has been secured, a building project for the school in question will be considered for progression in the context of the School Building and...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding from the school to which the Deputy refers has been assessed and schedules of accommodation to meet the current and long term accommodation needs of the school have been drawn up by my Department. The further progression of this project will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2007-2011.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application for an extension has been received from the school to which the Deputy refers. An assessment of projected enrolments, demographic trends and housing developments in the area, is currently under way in the Department which will assist in determining the long term projected enrolment for the school on which the school's long term accommodation needs will be based. When the...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A suitable site has been identified for this school. The site comprises three lots of lands. Agreement on price has been reached in respect of Plots 1 and 2. The negotiations by the Office of Public Works in respect of Plot 3 have been difficult and protracted. In an effort to resolve the issues and to achieve a resolution of the accommodation needs of the school, my Department has recently...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department has acknowledged the need for a new primary school in the Rochestown area of Cork. A site has been reserved by the local authority and officials from the Department are currently engaged in the process of site acquisition.

Written Answers — Language Support Programme: Language Support Programme (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 507, 509, 510 and 511 together. In order to meet the language needs of students in our schools whose first language is not English, additional support is given to their schools which can take the form of financial assistance, additional teaching posts or portions of posts. The level of extra financial or teaching support provided to any school is determined by...

Written Answers — Language Support Programme: Language Support Programme (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: All language support teachers are qualified primary teachers and training is provided as part of PCSP in service. Teachers are provided with in-service training through Integrate Ireland Language and Training Limited (IILT). IILT provides training seminars for language support teachers, part-time or wholetime, along with classroom materials, including the European Language Portfolio, to...

Written Answers — Language Support Programme: Language Support Programme (20 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The programmes in the Colleges of Education contain a number of elements aimed at enabling student teachers to address the various needs of all pupils in the classroom, including students whose first language is not English. In particular, all students undertake a course to prepare them to teach English in accordance with the revised primary school curriculum. Two modules of this course are...