Results 20,981-21,000 of 23,987 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Other Questions: Bullying in Schools (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: The approach we are seeing from the Minister and the policy he has adopted very much diminishes the importance of the guidance counsellor role vis-à-visother teaching roles in schools. One would not send a teacher qualified in Irish to teach English unless he or she also had a qualification in English. Likewise, one would not have someone who was unqualified teaching a maths class; nor...

Other Questions: School Enrolments Data (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: Those are a small number.

Other Questions: School Enrolments Data (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: It is half of all our schools.

Other Questions: School Enrolments Data (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: What about the 50% of other schools - our very small schools?

Other Questions: Bullying in Schools (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: 25. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he is satisfied that anti-bullying campaigns in schools have sufficient resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16465/14]

Other Questions: Bullying in Schools (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister for that update. Obviously, the implementation of the anti-bullying plan involves everyone within a school and it is important that everyone works together to ensure that students are kept safe and that there is a happy environment within the school. With reference to the guidance counsellor role, the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, took the earlier direct question...

Other Questions: School Enrolments Data (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: 12. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary schools from the September 2013 returns on pupil numbers that fall into the following categories, schools with 81 to 85 pupils, schools 49 to 55 pupils and schools 12 to 19 pupils and, therefore, are affected by the increases in pupil thresholds for teacher numbers introduced in Budget 2012; if and when he will publish the...

Other Questions: School Enrolments Data (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister for his reply. He has indicated that there are 166 schools in the categories affected by the increase in the pupil threshold necessary to retain existing numbers of teaching staff in such schools. The number in question represents approximately 5% of all schools. As the Minister is well aware, 50% of all primary schools have four teachers or fewer. In addition, 10% of...

Other Questions: School Enrolments Data (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: It was very good of the Minister to provide that level of certainty. However, the schools involved might inform him that there is a very clear level of uncertainty. What he stated originally was that during the three years from 2012 onwards they would lose teachers. The Minister was giving them certainty that was what was going to happen unless their numbers were significantly increasing....

Other Questions: Guidance Counsellors (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: Unfortunately, the Minister of State is diminishing the importance of the guidance counsellor's role. He said it should be left to the school to decide whether these services should be provided by a guidance counsellor or other teachers. He failed to acknowledge the training and qualifications of guidance counsellors. He is trying to pass on the responsibility these qualified professionals...

Other Questions: OECD Programmes (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: 7. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views of the results of 15 year olds on the computer based assessment of problem solving in PISA 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16467/14]

Other Questions: OECD Programmes (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister of State for his response. The Educational Research Centre's analysis of the result makes the point that students in Ireland have lower levels of familiarity with using ICT in schools and at home for school-related tasks than on average across all 34 OECD countries. This suggests a lack of familiarity with school-based computer tasks which has contributed to lower...

Other Questions: OECD Programmes (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. He said that paper-based problem solving shows us way ahead of the average, while computer-based problem solving shows us very much at the average level. That is an important point because it shows that students currently have the ability to think through and solve such problems. The reform of the junior certificate will be important in terms of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Teachers' Panel Rights (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister for his reply. As he indicated, the teacher exchange programme can last from one to five years, which makes it temporary. Other temporary teachers in the areas in which a person is participating in an exchange can acquire panel rights, in that, after a certain period, they have the option to apply for jobs in these areas. Participants in the exchange programme may...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Teachers' Panel Rights (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister for agreeing to do this. I look forward to engaging with him further on the matter.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: If the Minister had engaged more constructively from the outset, he would not be in the position of having to ask for this now. The two times he has outlined the timetable for implementation of the new junior cycle student award, he has done so unilaterally and without consultation with other partners. The first time he did it, he found he had to revisit the matter. The second timetable he...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Teachers' Panel Rights (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: 3. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers that are participating in teacher exchanges between primary schools in the current academic year; if he will agree to change the current situation where time spent on teacher exchange is not counted towards panel rights for teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16614/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: 1. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way he proposes to address concerns regarding school-based assessment at junior cycle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16613/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: My question relates to the serious concerns that arise in respect of proposals to reform the junior cycle, and how the Minister proposes to address them.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (9 Apr 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister for his reply. We find ourselves in an unfortunate position and one, moreover, which was entirely avoidable. There is widespread agreement in regard to the need for junior certificate reform by making it a lower-stakes examination which would result in a change in how students learn. We should not be in a position in which this reform is being introduced in the face of...