Results 6,481-6,500 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am conscious of the workload issues affecting Principal teachers and am aware of the key role they play in determining the shape of our schools. The scheme of release time for principals enables teaching principals of primary schools to be released from their teaching duties for a specified number of days annually to undertake administrative leadership and management functions. The number...

Written Answers — In-Service Training: In-Service Training (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Leadership Development for Schools Programme (LDS) has expanded the range of supports and services that it offers to school leaders and over 8,000 teachers from principals to middle managers have successfully completed LDS module programmes such as Misneach, Spreagagh, Forbairt, Tánaiste, Cumasú and Cothú. This investment has now led us to a point where there are structured continuous...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Discussions in relation to the revised responsibilities of middle management in schools are continuing under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council which is the agreed forum for dealing with pay and conditions of service of teachers. The purpose of these discussions is to ensure that maximum benefit is derived from the management structure in schools to assist school authorities in...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is currently considering the results of a Feasibility Study on the development of a single point of access to share data between schools, the Department and certain Agencies such as the National Educational Welfare Board, the National Council for Special Education and the State Examinations Commission. Consideration is also being given to the timing and resource requirements of...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Intensive training for boards, for which €1 million has been set aside in the current year, took place in 2007 and 2008 including the new boards at primary level. The essential core areas that are covered in the training are Financial Management, Child Protection Guidelines, Health & Safety, Employment Law and Human Resource Management. Other areas that are covered in training include...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 651 and 653 together. I can assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to promoting exercise for our children and young people — both in their community and at school. Over €2.6 billion has been provided for school building infrastructure between 2000 and 2006 and a further €4.5 billion is to be invested under the current National Development...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In accordance with the Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools, all second-level schools should provide Physical Education as part of the curriculum. The programme that each school plans and delivers should be based on my Department's approved syllabuses and the teaching hours should be registered in the school timetable. The syllabuses have been developed on the basis of a time allocation...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (10 Jul 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 — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (10 Jul 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 — Stay Safe Programme: Stay Safe Programme (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: 'Stay Safe' is a four stage approach to preventing child abuse involving: children's safety education; teacher training; parent education; and community awareness. The Programme aims to give children the skills necessary to enable them to recognise and resist abuse/victimisation and teaches them that they should always tell (an adult that can help) of any situation which they find unsafe,...

Written Answers — Student Councils: Student Councils (10 Jul 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 (10 Jul 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 — Transition Year Programme: Transition Year Programme (10 Jul 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 — Scientific and Technological Fund: Scientific and Technological Fund (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As part of the multi-annual school building programme, the Government has invested heavily in the modernisation of school facilities throughout the country including science facilities in post-primary schools. Provision of science facilities is an intrinsic part of all major projects at post-primary level. Typically this investment involves the provision of modern science facilities in new...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (10 Jul 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 (10 Jul 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 — Gaeltacht Scholarship Programme: Gaeltacht Scholarship Programme (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Both Programme for Government schemes to which the Deputy refers have been repeated this year 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...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (10 Jul 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 — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (10 Jul 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 of...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 669 and 720 together. I can inform the Deputy that the number of psychologists as of January 2007 stood at 128, since that date an additional 15 individuals have been recruited to the service which when reduced by the effects of resignations/ retirements in the period results in a current staffing compliment of 137. Following a national recruitment competition...