Results 12,381-12,400 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Seanad: Education Policy: Statements (22 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Senator should come up and see me some time.

Seanad: Education Policy: Statements (22 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Is mór an t-áthas atá orm a bheith anseo arís ag labhairt i dtaobh cúrsaí oideachais. Ní haon ionadh é go mbíonn suim i gcónaí ag na Seanadóirí i gcúrsaí oideachais, mar go mbaineann siad le gach clann sa tír. The country has a fortunate quality of education. No matter the side of the political divide on which people are, we would all accept that our education system has...

Seanad: Education Policy: Statements (22 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The top quartile of leaving certificate students are going into primary teaching, which opens considerable opportunities for young people and ensures the quality of classroom teaching remains at a high level. I am proud of that fact. It is important for communities to continue to ensure the status of the schoolteacher is respected and that principals, as schools' leaders, are recognised as...

Seanad: Education Policy: Statements (22 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: That is why the Department does not support grinds schools. The league tables in yesterday's newspapers did not give an indication of the type of education young people receive in grinds schools. The top 15 schools that sent their students to UCD were in south County Dublin. Where is UCD? South County Dublin. The top 15 schools that sent their students to NUI Maynooth were all based in...

Seanad: Education Policy: Statements (22 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: All schools must be inclusive and induce young people with special educational needs and different backgrounds.

Seanad: Education Policy: Statements (22 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: That is the best way to achieve societal mix with understanding and challenge. To everyone dealing in disadvantaged areas, the expectations of young people should be as high as they are in the Dún Laoghaire constituency. Too many young people tell me their parents and teachers do not expect anything of them. If one does not expect it of them, they will not perform. As a community, we must...

Seanad: Education Policy: Statements (22 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Does the Senator wish me to return to special education?

Seanad: Education Policy: Statements (22 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I have only 15 minutes to speak.

Seanad: Education Policy: Statements (22 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: They will be introduced. I cannot possibly comment on all topics. It could not have been anticipated that there would be 1,800 teachers teaching only English in our schools. If all of those teachers had been deployed to reduce class sizes there would be approximately 15 children in a class but we had to prioritise. If all the teachers dealing with children with special needs had been...

Seanad: Education Policy: Statements (22 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Did the Senator have only 15 pupils in his class? That was a small class.

Seanad: Education Policy: Statements (22 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I thank Senators for their contributions. I always enjoy coming to the Seanad because of the genuine interest here. I had not quite realised there are so many new Senators with backgrounds in education but I am sure their aim will be to make a positive contribution and not just keep me on my toes. Two issues were new. The first concerned the National Educational Psychological Service,...

Order of Business (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Definitely. Negotiations are soon to be finalised.

Written Answers — School Curiculum: School Curiculum (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A programme in Social Personal and Health Education for senior cycle is currently being developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, but no proposals in this area have as yet been submitted to my Department. The Council has consulted widely on a draft curriculum framework, and there has been general acceptance that it should cover such areas as Mental Health, Gender...

Written Answers — School Curiculum: School Curiculum (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Social Personal and Health Education support service through my Department has twice advertised for the position of Regional Development Officer with responsibility for collaboration with the Local Drugs Task Forces, as outlined by the Deputy. Unfortunately on both occasions a suitable candidate was not forthcoming for a variety of reasons. The SPHE has recently created a panel for the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied for large scale capital funding. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 1 rating. Progress on the project will be considered in the context of the multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme consistent with its Band rating....

Written Answers — School Curiculum: School Curiculum (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I would like to make clear that my Department is not preventing the operation of immersion models of education. My Department provides a range of supports to encourage the establishment of all-Irish schools and to encourage instruction and communication through Irish. The right of parents and children to choose education through the medium of Irish is fully respected, but this does not...

Written Answers — Ombudsman for Children: Ombudsman for Children (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Ombudsman for Children's Office was established in April 2004 under the Ombudsman for Children Act, 2002. The Ombudsman for Children is independent of Government and other civil society actors and is accountable to the Oireachtas. The role of the Ombudsman for Children is to promote and safeguard the rights and welfare of children and young people up to eighteen years of age. The main...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department currently has a variety of syllabuses and programmes in place for Physical Education. Among these are the primary school curriculum in Physical Education, the revised Junior Cycle Physical Education syllabus, the Leaving certificate syllabus in PE and the Health and Leisure module as part of the Leaving Certificate Applied programme. The primary and Junior Cycle curricula are...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Social Personal and Health Education programme, which is mandatory in primary schools and at junior cycle level, provides a framework under which the generic values and skills which underpin responsible decision-making, and respect for the rights and safety of others can be developed and promoted among students. SPHE has a specific personal safety strand within the programme, and this...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Since its commencement in 1998, there has been significant investment in the ICT in Schools Programme, in providing computers to schools, professional development ICT courses for teachers, improving the availability of digital content, integrating ICT into the curriculum and in supporting schools to integrate ICT into their teaching and learning. The recent priorities under the Programme have...