Results 12,681-12,700 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Report of the Expert Group called for the introduction of bonus points for Higher Level Mathematics in the Leaving Certificate. I am pleased to say that all third level institutions have collectively decided to operate a bonus points scheme for Higher Level Mathematics for a four year trial period from 2012 to 2015 with a review in 2014. A bonus of 25 points will be allocated to...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The www.projectmaths.ie website is operating normally. The norm, in cases of syllabus reform, is that the State Examinations Commission publishes a sample examination paper in the first term of the examination year. In the case of Project Maths, the website contains sample examination papers published by the State Examinations Commission for the Junior Certificate 2011, sample papers for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51, 97, 109, 110 and 115 together. My Department's most recent projections indicate that enrolments at post-primary level will rise from current levels of circa 312,200 pupils to about 336,600 pupils by the year 2017 and at primary level enrolments are expected to increase from the current total enrolment of circa 505,600 pupils to an expected enrolment circa...

Written Answers — Higher Education: Higher Education (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am anxious to support the higher education sector in responding to future demand for growth in participation. This future growth needs to be reconciled with limitations on public resources and a need to protect and enhance core quality. Although the nature of these difficult trade-offs are described in the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030, the strategy also identifies the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the decision to withdraw Resource Teacher for Travellers was taken by the previous Government as part of the last Budget. The requirement to make expenditure savings and to ensure that staffing numbers remain within the Public Service Employment Control Framework prevent me from re-visiting this decision. Resource Teacher for Traveller posts/Teaching Hours...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am committed to investment in Project Maths. The initiative is designed to encourage better understanding of mathematics, to reinforce its practical relevance to everyday life, and to ensure better curriculum continuity across the system. Project Maths began in all schools in September 2010 building on the experiences of 24 schools which started the initiative in September 2008. It is...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department's Guidelines on Countering Bullying in Primary and Post Primary Schools (1993) require all schools to have an anti bullying policy. It is the responsibility of school management to ensure that the guidelines are followed and if training is required, it is available from the Social, Personal & Health Education (SPHE) support service. My Department's support teams, the PDST and...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Higher education institutions have collectively agreed to operate a bonus points scheme for Higher Level Mathematics for a four year trial period from 2012 to 2015 inclusive, with a review in 2014. A bonus of 25 points will be allocated to students who achieve a grade D3 or above in LC Higher Level mathematics. This pilot scheme has been specifically designed with the objective of...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The EU Commission's report in terms of reading, maths and science is based on the PISA 2009 results. These showed a significant deterioration in the performance of 15 year olds in Ireland in Mathematics and Reading vis a vis earlier years. Ireland's performance in Mathematics ranked as just below the OECD average, and Reading was at the OECD average. In science, Ireland's score is...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will probably be aware that, currently, there are four student grant schemes administered by 66 grant awarding bodies (local authorities and VECs) on my Department's behalf. However, earlier this year, the Student Support Act became law. This paves the way to consolidate the four existing schemes into a single unified scheme and I intend that this will happen for the 2011/12...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The process of allocating teaching resources to schools for 2011/2012 and the arrangements for filling vacant or new teaching posts, including temporary posts, takes place in the context of the EU/IMF Programme of Support for Ireland and the Public Service Agreement 2010/2014. It is necessary for my Department to exercise additional control and reporting measures this year to ensure that the...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 provides that the appointment, suspension and dismissal of teachers are the responsibility of boards of management. In the case of VEC schools, section 20 of the Vocational Education (Amendment) Act 2001 provides that the appointment of teachers and other staff are a matter for each VEC. Removal from office of a VEC officeholder is provided for by...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware, the Student Support Act became law earlier this year. This legislation enables the consolidation of the four existing student grant schemes into a single unified scheme. As a consequence, a fundamental review of the schemes was necessary. This is nearing completion and I expect to be able to publish the new scheme shortly.

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that there have been no specific cuts in the School Support Programme to DEIS Band 1 schools. 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...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The current provision of Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Services will remain in the 200 post primary and 345 urban primary schools participating in DEIS. The process of allocating teaching resources to schools for the 2011/12 school year and the arrangements for filling vacant or new teaching positions takes place in the context of the Programme for National Recovery, the EU/IMF...

Written Answers — Value for Money Reviews: Value for Money Reviews (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The value for money review on small schools is part of the normal review processes undertaken by all Departments on an annual basis on selected areas of expenditure and is being conducted in line with the standard procedure for value for money reviews. These procedures require that the views of stakeholders be obtained and the public consultations were designed to achieve this aim. This was...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A review of the criteria and procedures for the establishment of new primary schools has been undertaken by the Commission on School Accommodation and its report has recently been published on my Department's website. It will be necessary to consider the report's recommendations and proposals. In the interim it is not proposed to recognise any new primary schools, except in areas where the...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Working through the arts helps to nurture and develop cognitive, communicative, emotional, imaginative, aesthetic, social, and spiritual intelligence and skills. Arts education in primary schools, through drama and also the subjects of music, visual arts and through language, provides opportunities for a child to express ideas, feelings and imaginative insights, to make sense of and express...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy is referring to a private ABA centre in Dublin 13. I can confirm that my Department has received a proposal for funding from the organisation that runs the centre in question. My Department will respond to the submitted proposal in the near future. Consideration of this proposal will take account of my Department's policy in this regard, which is focused on ensuring that all...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension. The application was assessed and assigned a band rating of 2. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction is dependent on the prioritisation of competing demands...