Results 10,361-10,380 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The long term accommodation needs of the school has been determined and notified to the school authority. In order to determine how best to provide for the school's accommodation needs into the future, it will be necessary to have a technical assessment of the existing buildings carried out. Officials from the Department will be in contact with the school authority to arrange such a visit.

Written Answers — Standardised Testing: Standardised Testing (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 48, 63 and 76 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. I have accepted the advice from the National Council for Curriculum and...

Written Answers — Third Level Courses: Third Level Courses (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My department has not taken a decision to locate the proposed school of podiatry in a university. As jointly announced by the Minister for Health and Children and I on 22nd January 2007, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) was requested to issue a Call for Proposals from higher education institutions working in partnership with a health care provider for the establishment of a school of...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In accordance with the Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools, the approved course for Junior Certificate students in second level schools must include Irish, English, Mathematics, Social Personal and Health Education, Civic Social and Political Education and at least 3 other examination subjects. While Science is an optional subject for the Junior Certificate, some 86% of students already...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 Mar 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 (2006/2007) is currently being worked on. 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 there is now one...

Written Answers — Higher Education Funding: Higher Education Funding (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy's request for information back dated to 1980 and relating to the level of capital funding provided to higher education institutions is not readily available. Data from 1997 to date are readily available and are shown in the table for the Institutes of Technology and the University sectors. Data for other colleges from 2000 onwards are shown in the other table. The data are not...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Under Action 43 of the National Drugs Strategy, guidelines for developing a substance abuse policy were drawn up by my Department in consultation with the Department of Health and Children and the former Health Boards. These guidelines were issued to all schools in October 2002 to assist them in the development of appropriate substance abuse policies. The implementation of the guidelines is...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was established under the Education for Persons with Special Needs Act (EPSEN) to improve the delivery of education services to persons with special educational needs arising from disabilities with particular emphasis on children. Since it was established in 2005, the NCSE has been responsible for allocating...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued to all primary schools each year. Data submitted to my Department by the Board of Management of the school referred to by the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 99 together. My Department is working at a senior level with Meath County Council and the schools in Laytown in order to deal with the school accommodation needs of the area for September 2007 and onwards. A site of approx. 15.5 acres was reserved by Meath County Council in the Laytown Local Area Plan for education provision. The land is in the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The level of student intake to the Colleges of Education is determined annually by my Department and it takes into account the supply of, and demand for, primary teachers while also having regard to available resources. The demand for primary teachers is influenced by a number of factors including: the application of the agreed staffing schedule; demographic trends; the number of teachers...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Report of the Task Force on Student Behaviour in Second Level Schools recommended that section 29 of the Education Act 1998 should be amended to stress the rights of the compliant majority to learn whilst at the same time protecting the rights of a persistently disruptive student to an education. The Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007 will amend section 29 of the Education Act...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: There are over 1,500 large-scale and smaller scale projects on my Department's school building programme. The rolling series of announcements on the programme are listed on my Department's website — the most recent of which involved over 1,100 projects under the Summer Works Scheme, 256 projects under the devolved schemes and 22 large-scale post-primary projects. The budget for 2007 is...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The use of information and communications technologies in the delivery of existing mathematics syllabuses is actively encouraged. The Mathematics Support Service which provides inservice training at school level and for cluster groups promotes the use of information technologies in the teaching of mathematics and has developed a range of resources for teachers to use in their classrooms....

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act was enacted in July 2004. The following sections have been commenced:- 1, 2, 14(1)(a), 14(1)(c), 14(2) to 14(4), 19 to 37, 40 to 44, 45-49 and 50 to 53. The remaining sections have not yet been commenced. The remaining sections relate mainly to the statutory assessment and education plan process for which the Act provides. These...

Written Answers — Court Cases: Court Cases (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: There are approximately 250 cases before the Courts which my Department is currently engaged in. These cases include litigation relating to Primary Schools, Community and Comprehensive Schools, Children Detention Schools, Special Educational Needs, school non-attendance, school transport, litigation arising from industrial relations actions, contractual disputes and a diverse range of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Officials of the NCSE have met regularly with my Department's officials on a range of matters including issues in relation to post-primary special education. The NCSE recently submitted its Implementation Report to me, which sets out its views and recommendations on a plan for the implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, (EPSEN) Act 2004. The report is...

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that recently I announced the schools which are to benefit from the 200 extra language support posts provided for in the 2007 Estimates. These extra 200 posts will bring the total number of language support teachers in our schools to 1,450. These new resources are intended for schools with large numbers of pupils who do not have English as a first language. Under...

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The achievement of high literacy standards is one of the primary goals of education. I am very conscious of the fact that high levels of literacy are fundamental prerequisites for full educational, social and economic participation, and the Government is redoubling its efforts to promote these. Schools generally have relatively low proportions of children with significant literacy...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The specific information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. However, the Deputy can be assured that my Department fully recognises the key role of physical exercise within the school environment and continues to respond to the need to improve PE facilities for all pupils attending primary schools. My Department's design guidelines include, where appropriate for PE Halls, general...