Results 10,321-10,340 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- School Curriculum. (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: No. The fund made available to primary schools last year was to enable them to purchase equipment.
- School Curriculum. (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The fund which will shortly be made available to primary schools is to enable them to buy equipment that they can use in accordance with the needs of their students and taking into account the facilities available to them. The Department will continue to upgrade and provide quality facilities for our schools. All recent building and modernisation projects have delivered top-class extra...
- School Curriculum. (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I am not sure if the Deputy is referring to a sports hall built in the drugs task force area.
- School Curriculum. (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I am not familiar with the schools in question.
- Education Projects. (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I am committed to the development of an individualised records system for primary level as soon as practical since it will give us vital information on pupils in our primary schools as well as enable us to better track children's progress from primary to post-primary level. The development of such a database is a complex and resource demanding task involving a number of agencies external to...
- Education Projects. (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: Deputy Crowe referred to a figure of 1,000 pupils who do not transfer to secondary level. This figure appeared in an NESF report in 2002 which cited an estimate contained in a 1997 report that as many as 1,000 primary school pupils did not make the transition to secondary level. At some point someone estimated that the figure might be 1,000 and in the absence of any other study this figure...
- Education Projects. (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The feasibility study will start shortly. The Department wants to see how the online claims system operates before rolling out a new computer system. The National Educational Welfare Board, which has a staff of 94 and is due to increase its staff numbers this year, should be able to make a reasonably quick determination of how many primary pupils transfer to second level. In addition, the...
- Education Projects. (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: It would be far too narrow to allow any one agency to have control over setting up the database. The information that could be gleaned from it is of wide application. Nor should it be available to all the other relevant bodies. It is important that this information should be kept within the Department of Education and Science. I do not know it if was ever intended that the NEWB should...
- Education Projects. (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The NEWB has a specific responsibility to ensure that a child of compulsory school-going age is in school. It must ensure this information is gleaned and that all children make the transfer from primary to second level. Children are obliged to be in school from the ages of six to 16 years.
- Education Projects. (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: It is part of its statutory remit.
- Education Projects. (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The NEWB, school completion co-ordinators and home-school-community liaison officers play a valuable role in this regard.
- Investment in Education. (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: Investment in education has increased dramatically under the Government. This year, we are providing â¬8.6 billion for education compared with just â¬2.9 billion in 1997 and â¬5.4 billion in 2002. Thus, expenditure has virtually trebled since 1997 and risen by 60% since 2002. It is estimated that the gross education provision in 2007 represents a projected 4.5% and 5.3% of GDP and GNP,...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 24, 59 and 105 together. Major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. There are now 5,000 more primary teachers than there were in 2002. We are already committed to hiring another 800 extra primary teachers next September. The average class size in our primary schools is 24 and there is now one teacher for 17 pupils at...
- Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 22 together. The Trustees of the school referred to by the Deputies have confirmed their intention to close the school on a phased basis. As the Deputies may be aware, this school is a voluntary secondary school and the decision to withdraw as providers of education is within the remit of the Patron body, that is the Sisters of Mercy. The Department...
- Written Answers — National Development Plan: National Development Plan (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: In September 2005 I announced funding of â¬300 million for an Education PPP Programme comprising of 23 new post-primary schools and 4 new primary schools under a major expansion of the Government's Public Private Partnership Programme from 2006 to 2010. In addition I announced â¬270 million for the delivery of 17 priority projects in nine third level colleges. Work commenced immediately on...
- Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the proposals recently made by Conradh na Gaeilge. These envisage that there would be no exemptions from Irish, that all students would pursue an "Irish language" syllabus at Foundation, Ordinary or Higher Level, and that an "Irish Literature" syllabus would be provided as an additional subject for higher level students, with CAO points to the value of 2 subjects being available...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: In determining the pupil teacher ratio at primary level, all teachers in primary schools are counted. In determining the average class size in primary schools, class teachers are counted. Major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. There are now 5,000 more primary teachers than there were in 2002. The average class size in our primary schools is 24 and...
- Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (22 Mar 2007)
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 — Medical Education: Medical Education (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The results of the competition for post-graduate places in medical education were announced on Tuesday 20th March 2007. Following a competitive process managed by the Higher Education Authority, three bids were received by the closing date of 31st January 2007. The bidders were the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, an Irish Universities Medical Consortium (comprising the medical schools...
- Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (22 Mar 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 61 together. The assessment of Irish for the Junior Certificate includes provision for an optional oral examination which is conducted by the class teacher in accordance with guidelines issued by the State Examinations Commission. The decision on whether, or not, to avail of this option is taken at school level. The syllabus for Junior Certificate...