Results 9,921-9,940 of 22,424 for speaker:Finian McGrath
- Other Questions: School Curriculum (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: On reform and dealing with the overload, when we move away from austerity I want to see an end to the moratorium on promotions in schools as this will improve leadership. Teaching principals should have greater release time as this would be valuable in assisting the development of class teachers. Teaching principals perform the roles of teacher, administrator, social worker, security person...
- Other Questions: School Funding (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: 7. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason funding for primary schools decreased by 15% over the past four years. [45100/14]
- Other Questions: School Funding (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: This question relates to the need for proper high-speed broadband funding for primary schools and the issue highlights a flaw in the primary education system. Teachers tell me we need to up our game in this area because we have much talent. The Minister earlier noted that many teachers are talented in the area of information technology IT and the same applies to the huge number of highly...
- Other Questions: School Funding (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: I apologise, I moved on to Question No. 8 by accident.
- Other Questions: School Funding (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: I will go back to Question No. 7. I apologise again and ask the Minister why funding for primary schools fell by 15% in the past four years.
- Other Questions: School Funding (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: That was short and sweet. I agree that we must prioritise capitation grants but we must also catch up, given the hits taken by the education sector, particularly primary education, in recent years. The overall hit is 15%. I ask the Minister to focus on three aspects: class sizes, resources for children with disabilities and targeting disadvantage in early education. It has been proved...
- Other Questions: Broadband Service Provision (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: 8. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide proper high speed broadband funding for primary schools. [45101/14]
- Other Questions: Broadband Service Provision (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: Is this the question on broadband?
- Other Questions: Broadband Service Provision (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: Now I know how the Minister feels. I ask the Minister to provide proper funding for high-speed broadband in primary schools. I will leave it at that.
- Other Questions: Broadband Service Provision (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: I welcome the Minister's response because something must be done regarding broadband for primary schools. There are many talented young teachers with great IT skills and a huge number of children are computer literate so the country has a great future in this regard. In the past nine or ten years this has been evident in how young people go on to set up businesses that are important in...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: 5. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the Down's Syndrome (Equality of Access) Bill 2013 and its implications for pupils with a disability. [45415/14]
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: Will the Minister for Education and Skills provide an update on the Down's Syndrome (Equality of Access) Bill 2013 and its implications for pupils with a disability? In this case, I am referring in particular about children with Down's syndrome. Does the Minister accept the educational principle that children with Down's syndrome who attend mainstream primary or second level schools thrive...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: I thank the Minister for her reply. She has confirmed that there will be additional resources for children with disabilities, for example, in 2015. However, there has to be some level of stability and guarantee for all children with disability so that when they attend their local primary school, resources will be put in place for them. It has been proven internationally that such pupils...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: I acknowledge that the Minister was very positive in the budget in providing for extra SNAs, teachers and other resources in the primary school sector. I support that major step in the right direction. We need to radically reform our education system constantly to ensure that it is inclusive. There is a broad range of pupils' needs across the disability sector, including more urgent cases...
- Other Questions: School Curriculum (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: 6. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way she plans to deal with the overloading of the primary school curriculum. [45099/14]
- Other Questions: School Curriculum (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: This is a busy morning. How does the Minister for Education and Skills plan to deal with the overloading of the primary school curriculum?
- Other Questions: School Curriculum (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: I welcome that review, including the public consultation process. In recent years, many different organisations and groups have been putting pressure on schools to implement their programmes. Some of these programmes are excellent, including ones for health, child safety and smoking. Special programmes deal with such issues in the primary school curriculum every day but many teachers tell...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: The Minister is a great woman for distracting us. She is misrepresenting most teachers and educationalists. The teachers support a move away from reliance on a terminal exam, and we all support that principle. The problem is the actual assessment. Take a small school in a village or parish. What about the parents who make their presence felt every day in the primary schools and micro...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: It does happen, unfortunately.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations (27 Nov 2014)
Finian McGrath: I never said that.