Results 3,881-3,900 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Other Questions: School Patronage (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: It could be considered in the lifetime of a future Government, but we are not proposing any constitutional change during the lifetime of this Government. I do not think there would be time now anyway. It is certainly an issue that will have to be addressed in the future. I hope to have the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2015 on the floor of the House, but as the Deputy has rightly...

Other Questions: School Patronage (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Contrary to an article in The Irish Timestoday by Fintan O'Toole which stated only one school had been divested, eight schools have been divested, namely, Tramore Educate Together national school, ETNS, County Waterford, Trim ETNS, County Meath, Malahide-Portmarnock ETNS, Kinsealy, County Dublin, Newtownwhite ETNS, Ballina, County Mayo, Canalway ETNS, Basin Lane, Dublin 8, Tuam ETNS, County...

Other Questions: School Patronage (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government is proud of being a reforming Government in education. My predecessor, Deputy Quinn, achieved a high level of reform during his time as Minister. He, like me, has been disappointed with the progress in this area. There has been more reform in education during the past four or five years than in the preceding decades. It is difficult to reform a system that has been...

Other Questions: State Examinations Reviews (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: First, the response of the ASTI, despite the fact that there was a rejection by the majority of its members who voted, has been measured in so far as it has indicated that it may be clarification that is required. There may be issues on which its members need more information and I would prefer to give it the space to give them that clarification. Having said that, it would be unfair on...

Other Questions: State Examinations Reviews (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Certainly there is a time constraint, and it is not only the general election. Obviously, there are the assessments that must take place in 2016 as well and I am conscious of that aspect. I hope that we will be able to clarify the issues within the timeframe to ensure that there is no concern, in particular, on behalf of the students and their parents.

Other Questions: School Patronage (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The programme for Government gives a commitment to move towards a more pluralist system of patronage for schools. In this context, a forum on patronage and pluralism in the primary sector was established to look at how schools could cater for diversity and ensure an inclusive environment for all their pupils. Work is continuing on implementing the action plan arising from this forum,...

Other Questions: Bullying in Schools (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The inspectorate has an important role here, as it visits schools, and the whole-school evaluation process includes procedures relating to bullying, so we have those measures in place. I do not have specific statistics for what incidents of bullying we would be made aware of. I can come back to the Deputy on that if there are specific figures. It is one of those areas we need to monitor...

Other Questions: Bullying in Schools (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Having the questions to parents and pupils is part of assessing the effectiveness of what is in place. I do not think the assessment of the guidelines has been completed, but I can get some timelines on that for the Deputy.

Other Questions: State Examinations Reviews (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Since coming into office, I have engaged extensively with all education stakeholders on junior cycle reform, including negotiating directly with the leadership of the two teacher trade unions. In August, my Department published Framework for Junior Cycle 2015, which sets out the wide-ranging and necessary reforms to the junior cycle. Our purpose is to deliver a modernised curriculum across...

Other Questions: Bullying in Schools (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware that my Department published new anti-bullying procedures for all primary and post-primary schools at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year. The procedures are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities and personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour among pupils. They include specific requirements on the use of...

Other Questions: Bullying in Schools (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: We have been following up on finding out how parents and pupils feel about the anti-bullying procedures in schools. The information tells us there is a high degree of confidence among both parents and children with respect to what schools are doing to have a positive anti-bullying climate and responding where there are incidents of bullying. We monitor it in that way. For example, 98% of...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is useful to have that information because I will not name the school. However, the information I have is that the NCSE is not aware of issues relating to the availability of a home room or resource hours in the school. We need to let it know that that appears to be the issue. There are now 625 special classes in mainstream schools nationwide for children with autism, 95 of which are...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My information is that the other two schools that have autism units are full. With regard to the capital programme, as far as I know it does not contain a specific category of expenditure for the rooms to which the Deputy referred. Such rooms would be included in the general allocation. However, the intention is that that should not be an obstacle. Where autism units or special classes...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Deputy O'Brien for his question. The National Council for Special Education, through its network of local special educational needs organisers, is responsible for processing applications from primary and post-primary schools for special educational needs supports, including the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required. The NCSE operates within my...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Is Deputy McConalogue really suggesting that I should abandon this process now that every other partner in education, whether they be school students, parents, management bodies or principals and deputy principals, plus the Teachers Union of Ireland, TUI, whose members voted in much larger numbers in favour of it, is involved because a small number of-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I sat down for many hours with them. The Deputy said I am not being conciliatory. When they announced their results I said we would provide whatever clarification they require, and we will do that. They did indicate that there may be need for clarification. I am happy to do that. I am also happy to begin rolling out the continuing professional development, CPD, in the schools that have...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Yes I can, but it is Deputy McConalogue's question so I will answer to Deputy McConalogue. As Deputy McConalogue knows, this reform has been a long time coming and it is my responsibility as Minister for Education and Skills to respond to all the partners in education who want it, to the TUI whose members have voted for it and to the students of Ireland who are central to all of this, and I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Deputy. I am pressing ahead immediately with implementation. I welcome the strong endorsement of Teachers Union of Ireland, TUI, members and while I have no intention of revisiting the agreed framework, I will engage with the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland, ASTI, to further clarify any issues. Progressing this must be a priority for all. The Framework for Junior...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: First, I acknowledge the support of Fianna Fáil for reform, as well as that of practically every partner in education. I note that fewer than 40% of ASTI members have rejected it but apart from that, everybody else in the education sector is in support. I am not by any means abandoning reform but as I told the Deputy, the Department is writing to all schools and will begin CPD in the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I take the Deputy's point but to give him an example, a school with 178 pupils could be in a position to enrol up to 26 more pupils without triggering an additional teaching post. If the same eight-teacher school had an enrolment of 204 pupils, it would only take one pupil to trigger the appointment of an additional teacher. Whether a school can get a new teacher depends on how close it is...