Results 14,381-14,400 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Limited indicative data on the socioeconomic background of grantholders have been collected in the past on the higher education grants scheme only. My Department's student support unit is in the process of collating information on students who were awarded grants under the higher education grants scheme for the academic year 2004-05 from the returns which have been submitted to date by the...
- Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: A total of 660 subject inspection is planned for 2006, 428 stand-alone subject inspections and 232 subject inspections as part of 57 planned whole school evaluations in post-primary schools. This is an increase on the figure of 641 given in response to a parliamentary question on Wednesday, 15 February and arises from the finalisation of the inspectorate's business plan shortly thereafter. I...
- Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Physical education and sport, although closely linked, are not synonymous. Sport begins with play and develops through games, competition and challenges. The focus in the physical education curriculum in our schools is on the learner's holistic development, with an emphasis on personal and social development, physical growth, and motor development. Goal setting within the curriculum focuses...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I am aware some second level schools do not appear to be doing as much as they could to ensure students with special needs are as welcome in those schools as students without special needs. The Education Act 1998 requires all schools to have in place an admissions policy, detailing admission to and participation by students with disabilities or who have other special educational needs. The...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 139 together. When I launched School Matters, the report of the task force on student behaviour in second level schools, on 14 March last, I referred to the establishment of behaviour support classrooms in schools. The report recommends the establishment of behaviour support classrooms in those schools experiencing severe behavioural difficulties with...
- Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The needs of children whose first language is not English is met through a programme of language support provided by additional teachers at primary and second level who help children to improve their English language skills. Language support takes the form of financial assistance, additional temporary teacher posts or portions of teacher posts. The level of support provided to any school is...
- Written Answers — Whole School Evaluations: Whole School Evaluations (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: In accordance with the regulations on publication of inspection reports that I placed before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 31 January 2006, inspections commenced on or after 6 February 2006 will be published. The new regulations on publication will apply to 177 WSEs at primary level and 48 post-primary WSEs in 2006. Since the regulations in relation to publication only apply to inspections...
- Written Answers — School Discipline: School Discipline (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The National Educational Welfare Board, NEWB, has commenced work on developing guidelines for schools on codes of behaviour, as provided for under section 23 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000. The process involves the drawing up of a draft framework discussion document for the guidelines, which will be used as a basis for consultations with the key stakeholders including school management,...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: My Department's policy is to ensure the maximum possible integration of children with special educational needs, SEN, into ordinary mainstream schools. Where mainstream provision is not appropriate children can be catered for in special schools which are dedicated to particular disability groups. There are 106 special schools in the country at present. These schools cater for children from...
- Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: In October 2000, my Department introduced a physical education grant for all primary schools. Since the introduction of the scheme, my Department provided in excess of â¬5.5 million in grant aid to primary schools under this scheme to enable schools provide coaching or mentoring in connection with physical education or to purchase resource materials associated with the provision of physical...
- Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127, 140 and 151 together. The National Adult Learning Council was formed in March 2002 on an ad hoc basis with the intention that it would be established as a statutory body under section 54 of the Education Act 1998. Following the formation of the ad hoc council, concerns emerged that the functions envisaged for the council were too wide-ranging and were not...
- Written Answers — Primary Pupil Database: Primary Pupil Database (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: My Department is developing a primary pupil database which will monitor the progression of individuals through the education system. The database will be a very useful tool for the Department in evaluating the effectiveness of educational initiatives and I am anxious that it be developed as soon as is practicable. However, the project must be developed carefully to ensure that the final...
- Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: There are 442 second level schools which provide music as a subject in the leaving certificate programme. Of these 249 are mixed sex schools and 193 are single-sex schools.
- Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: My Department is committed to funding the provision of physical education, general purpose and outdoor play areas in schools as part of the school building and modernization programme. This is being addressed in the context of available resources and the published criteria for prioritising school building projects. The provision of physical education halls at post-primary level is considered...
- Written Answers — Whole School Evaluations: Whole School Evaluations (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Green-Schools is an international environmental education programme, designed to promote and acknowledge whole-school action to care for the environment. It is both a programme and an award scheme. The programme offers schools a well-defined, practical approach to environmental education. It complements the formal curricula in social, environmental and scientific education, SESE, at primary...
- Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the indemnity agreement reached with the religious congregations on 5 June 2002 the congregations agreed to make a contribution of â¬128 million towards the redress scheme. This was broken down as follows: cash contribution â¬41.14 million; provision of counselling services â¬10 million; and property transfers â¬76.86 million. The congregations paid the cash...
- Written Answers — Inquiry into Child Abuse: Inquiry into Child Abuse (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse was established under statute to investigate child abuse in institutions in the State, to enable persons who have suffered such abuse to give evidence to committees of the commission and to prepare and publish a report of findings and recommendations considered appropriate for the alleviation of the effects of past child abuse and for the protection...
- Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: My Department has acknowledged the need for a replacement building to meet the future needs of the school referred to by the Deputy. It has also been established that the present site is unsuitable for further development. Therefore, prior to any progress being made on a building project for the school, a suitable site must be identified. The board of management had previously indicated to my...
- Written Answers — School Discipline: School Discipline (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 153 together. At the launch of the report, School Matters, I announced that I would be establishing a national behaviour support team which would be based regionally. The team will be divided into four groups. A group will be assigned to different parts of the country. The exact locations where these groups or core teams will be based will be decided...
- Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (5 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The number of schools and other centres of education offering the junior certificate schools programme is 176. The breakdown of this figure is as follows: 139 post-primary schools; 12 special schools; nine traveller education centres; six youth encounter projects; three schools for the deaf; four schools for the physically handicapped; and three remand centres.