Results 1,341-1,360 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department makes a specific allocation of teaching posts in respect of guidance to schools in the post-primary system. This allocation is based on the pupil enrolment in September of the preceding school year. As a result of the decision to allocate an additional 100 posts to guidance from September 2005 an enhanced guidance allocation provision has been put in place from the commencement...

Written Answers — Road Safety Programme: Road Safety Programme (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I believe that schools have a role to play both in teaching students about road safety issues and in helping them to develop the attitudes necessary to promote safe behaviour on the roads. The Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme, which is mandatory in primary schools and at junior cycle level, provides a framework under which the generic values and skills which underpin...

Written Answers — Child Abuse Prevention Programme: Child Abuse Prevention Programme (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Following the survey of all schools carried out some time ago to establish to what extent the Stay Safe programme was being implemented in schools my Department has been taking a targeted approach to the provision of training. Two additional primary school teachers were seconded to the Child Abuse Prevention Programme (CAPP) in September 2007 to assist with this training which is being...

Written Answers — Student Councils: Student Councils (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Section 27 of the Education Act 1998 provides that Boards of Management in second level schools shall facilitate and give all reasonable assistance to Student Councils. Student Councils are established in the majority of post-primary schools. It is important not only to ensure that each school has a Student Council which is representative of all students in the school but also that Councils...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The NCCA proposals for reform envisaged re-structuring of senior cycle programmes into subjects, short courses and Transition Units, a strengthening of practical project and portfolio assessment, a spread of assessment events with subjects having two assessment components, and embedding of key skills into subjects. In response, the then Minister Mary Hanafin. T.D. welcomed the embedding of...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The proposals of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment for reform of senior cycle envisaged a re-structuring of programmes into subjects, short courses and transition units. The Council proposed the development of Transition Units as 45 hour units of study which would provide a broad range of experiences for learners, incorporating innovative methodologies and supporting the...

Written Answers — Science Education: Science Education (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy is aware the Programme for Government commits my Department to Ring-fence funding for science laboratories, improve science equipment in our schools, and ensure a greater focus on high quality science education at all levels. As part of the multi-annual school building programme, the Government has invested heavily in the modernisation of school facilities throughout the country...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Schools at both primary and second level use strategies such as curriculum differentiation, curriculum enrichment and acceleration to facilitate the development of pupils who are exceptionally able. Recently devised syllabi and curricula for second-level schools have been designed in such a way to enable teachers cater for the wide range of pupil ability. The revised primary curriculum, which...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In February 2008 a letter issued to all second-level schools participating in the DEIS programme inviting them to participate in the Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP). 25 schools have been selected to join in 2008, which is in addition to the 28 schools which joined the JCSP programme in September 2007 on foot of a similar invitation issued in March 2007. Participation in the...

Written Answers — Youthreach Programme: Youthreach Programme (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Youthreach was established in 1988 to provide second chance education to unemployed early school leavers aged 15-20. It is designed to offer courses of integrated general education, vocational training and work experience. Towards 2016 set out to increase the number of Youthreach places by 1,000 by the end of 2009. In 2007, 400 additional places were allocated. Provision was made in the 2008...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Both schemes to which the Deputy refers have been established and are running successfully. With regard to the summer courses in Irish for primary school children in designated disadvantaged schools, these are referred to as Campaí Samhraidh. Children's command of Irish is improved through participation in a range of activities, including music, arts and crafts and games, conducted through...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The curriculum in schools is devised on the basis that ICT is not a subject but rather a tool to be integrated into the teaching and learning of all subjects. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has developed an ICT framework which sets out a structured approach to ICT in curriculum and assessment. This sets out the types of learning appropriate for students during the period...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and an integrated School Support Programme (SSP). As a result of the identification and review processes, 873 schools have been included in the new School Support Programme (SSP) under DEIS. These comprise 670 primary...

Written Answers — School Standardised Tests: School Standardised Tests (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department issued Circular 0138/2006 in December 2006 to primary schools requesting that they ensure that standardised testing is implemented on an annual basis for all pupils in English reading and Mathematics at the end of first class or the beginning of second class, and at the end of fourth class or the beginning of fifth class, beginning in the calendar year 2007. The introduction...

Written Answers — Educational Services: Educational Services (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 454 and 455 together. As the Deputy will be aware all primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 456 to 458, inclusive, and 471 together. As the Deputies will be aware, a number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, 2004 have been commenced, principally those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children with special...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: This Government has significantly exceeded its commitment to provide 1,800 Language Support Teachers, as outlined in the Programme for Government. My Department has already allocated almost 2,000 language support teachers in the current school year. The corresponding figures for the 2006/07 and 2005/06 school years are approximately over 1,400 and over 800 respectively. Additional supports...

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Department of Education and Science provides for English language training for adult immigrants (English for Speakers of Other Languages, ESOL) under its adult literacy budget. Funds are allocated to VECs who are the main statutory providers of ESOL training. Currently, there are approximately 100 VEC colleges, 10 Prison Education providers, 100 Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) colleges,...

Written Answers — Adult Literacy: Adult Literacy (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Between 1997 and 2007, funding for adult literacy has increased from €1m to €30m and in the same period, the number of participants has increased from 5,000 to 44,000. There are also a number schemes targeted at people with special literacy needs, e.g. deaf people and a literacy service in Irish for people in Gaeltacht areas. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment makes...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) provides part-time Further Education programmes for adults to give them an opportunity to combine a return to learning with family, work and other responsibilities. Programmes are offered on a part-time basis, in the mornings, afternoons, evenings or at weekends. There is a commitment in the programme for government to expand the number of BTEI places...