Results 15,121-15,140 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 and 121 together. The question of introducing a road safety and driver education syllabus into schools has been examined by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, on foot of a report from a task group set up in 2000 and which included representatives of the Department of Education and Science, the Department of the Environment, Heritage...

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 152 together. The primary source of information on retention available within my Department is the post-primary pupil database. Cohort analysis of the pupil records on this database allows for monitoring of retention through the publicly aided second level school system. To date, two retention reports have been published covering four cohorts of...

Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS — delivering equality of opportunity in schools — which provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme, SSP, aims to concentrate early childhood education actions on those children, aged from three up to school enrolment, who will subsequently attend the 150...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information as requested by the Deputy is not readily available. The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, was established as an independent statutory body with responsibilities as set out in the National Council for Special Education (Establishment) Order, 2003. The NCSE, through local special educational needs organisers, SENOs, is responsible for processing resource...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: 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 Act also requires schools to ensure that, as regards that policy, the principles of equality and the right of parents to send their children to a school of the parents' choice are respected....

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I assume that the Deputy is referring to the OECD recent publication, "Are Students Ready for a Technology Rich World? What PISA Studies Tell Us", which is based on questionnaire responses of 15 year old students and their principal teachers that were administered in spring 2003, as part of the OECD programme for international student assessment, PISA. In 2003, PISA ran its second three...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The latest statistical data available to my Department is the ICT school census undertaken by the National Centre for Technology in Education, NCTE, in autumn 2002. The 2002 census found that the number of computers in schools was almost 85,000 with average pupil to computer ratios in primary schools and post-primary schools of 12:1 and 9:1 respectively. A further census has been conducted by...

Written Answers — Disruptive Students: Disruptive Students (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Last year I established a task force on student behaviour in second level schools. This task force produced an interim report in mid-year and has very recently completed its final report as scheduled. I am at present considering the final report and will arrange for its publication shortly. I have indicated my clear intention of acting on this issue in a measured and effective manner. To this...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: In accordance with the commitment in the An Agreed Programme for Government, I plan to introduce a single unified scheme of maintenance grants for students in higher education. This will, I believe, provide for a more coherent administration system which will facilitate consistency of application and improved client accessibility and ensure the timely delivery of grants to those who need them...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: This Government has invested in the largest school building programme in the history of the State. Between 1998 and the end of 2004, almost €2 billion was invested in school buildings and in the region of 7,500 large and small projects were completed in schools — including 130 brand new schools and 510 large scale refurbishments/ extensions. Indeed, funding for school building and...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The total provision for educational inclusion programmes in 2006 is more than €640 million across all levels of education, as compared with almost €600 million in 2005. This includes additional funding for the implementation of measures under the DEIS action plan at pre-school, primary and second-level, additional funding of €7 million for further education programmes and a €20...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is currently considering a proposal received from the project to which the Deputy refers and a response will issue directly to the project in due course.

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (15 Feb 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 €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 — Educational System: Educational System (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I expect to receive the report of the Education Research Centre on the YES process within the next few weeks. At that stage, it will also be published and will be available as a resource to those responsible for framing and implementing policy into the future.

Written Answers — Teacher Support Services: Teacher Support Services (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Opportunities for professional development and the availability of support on a personal level are important in every profession in enabling staff to work to the best of their abilities and to deal with stress. The priority that I attach to providing quality professional development for teachers is evident from the levels of funding provided in successive budgets for this purpose. Enhanced...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I take it that the Deputy is referring to a number of inner city schools in Dublin that recently submitted additional information to my Department in relation to their particular circumstances with regard to pupils with special educational needs. This information is currently being considered in detail by my officials and a response will issue to the schools in question as quickly as possible.

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The number of national educational psychological service, NEPS, psychologists has increased almost three-fold, from 43 on establishment to 121 at present. The Public Appointments Service has recently established new recruitment panels for NEPS. Regional panels are now in place and my Department is currently in the process of appointing nine psychologists, with a further psychologist returning...

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Statistical returns made to my Department my primary principals show that, between October 2003 and September 2004, 237 pupils from across all standards left ordinary classes in national schools and did not emigrate or go to any other school within the State. In addition, over the same period, 548 pupils left primary school and the primary principal was not able to confirm if they went on to...

Written Answers — Education Programmes: Education Programmes (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 160 together. The issue of child protection and ensuring that all children in every primary school are aware of child protection issues are high priority areas for my Department. The Stay Safe programme is a personal safety programme for children. It is designed to give children the knowledge and necessary skills to help them deal with potentially...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The decreasing numbers of males entering the teaching profession is an issue that is of concern to me. I believe that it is important to attract more men into teaching for a number of reasons, not least of which is the positive role models that teachers provide in children's lives and the desirability of having both male and female role models in our schools. I genuinely believe that teaching...