Results 16,361-16,380 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department specifies the minimum academic requirements for entry to primary teacher training courses provided in the colleges of education. As part of these requirements, all candidates, including school leavers, mature students and university graduates, must have secured a minimum of a grade C in higher level Irish in the leaving certificate, or an approved equivalent. This requirement...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Teacher allocations for second level schools are approved by my Department on an annual basis in accordance with generally applied rules relating to recognised pupil enrolment. In general a ratio of 18:1 is applied in respect of recognised pupils on established junior certificate, leaving certificate, repeat leaving certificate and transition year programmes and a ratio of 16:1 is applied in...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136, 139, 566, 610, 619, 626, 635 and 703 together. The mainstream teacher allocation of all primary schools, including one-teacher schools, is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. The staffing schedule is outlined in a circular which is issued annually to all primary schools. In addition, such...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, aims to ensure that the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and effectively addressed. The plan provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme, SSP, which will...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The education of students in both primary and post-primary schools in relation to anti-bullying behaviour is a central part of the social, personal and health education, SPHE, curriculum. SPHE is now a compulsory subject both at primary level and in the junior cycle of post-primary schools. The SPHE curriculum provides for the development of personal and social skills including...

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, aims to ensure that the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and effectively addressed. The plan provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme, SSP, which will...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 189 together. Under the terms of the indemnity agreement reached with the religious congregations, the property contribution of the congregations is divided into two separate and distinct schedules of properties as follows. The first schedule of properties is properties to be transferred from the congregations to the State, State agencies or local...

Written Answers — Teaching Profession: Teaching Profession (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the decreasing numbers of males entering the teaching profession, and it 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...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department and the Department of Education in Northern Ireland are jointly engaged in the development of the Middletown centre for autism in County Armagh. Both Departments have jointly funded the purchase of the former St. Joseph's Adolescent Centre, Middletown, and plan to refurbish the property with a view to developing a centre of excellence for children and young people with autism...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The transition year programme is a one-year optional programme, taken by some 24,000 students annually, which provides a bridge between junior and senior cycle. Its aim is to promote the personal, social, educational and vocational development of students and prepare them for their role as participative and responsible members of society. The curriculum for the transition year is devised by...

Written Answers — School Meals: School Meals (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Schools are privately managed institutions which, although funded by the State, enjoy a large degree of autonomy. It is, therefore, primarily a matter for each school to devise policies around the types of food that are available on the school premises and such policies should be driven by the needs and welfare of the pupils. I know that many schools have developed healthy eating policies in...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There are five leaving certificate science subjects, each of which is offered at higher and ordinary levels. This range of subjects is necessary to ensure that courses are available in the different branches of science to match the varying needs, interests, ability levels and career plans of senior cycle students. The availability of these subjects also affords schools a degree of flexibility...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 170 together. All primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments for their pupils, either directly through National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, psychologists or through the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, SCPA, that is administered by NEPS. Schools that do not have NEPS psychologists assigned...

Written Answers — Stay Safe Programme: Stay Safe Programme (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 149, 183 and 192 together. Child protection and the implementation of the stay safe programme for all children in every primary school are priorities for my Department. The Stay Safe programme, which is also known as the child abuse prevention programme, CAPP, is a primary school-based approach to the prevention of child abuse. The programme aims to reduce...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A key element of DEIS, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, the new action plan for educational inclusion, is the putting in place of a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage in our primary and second level schools, which will result in improved targeting of resources at those most in need. The identification and analysis process is being managed by the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 and 190 together. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill vacancies in an individual second level school is a matter for the relevant school authority. First-time appointment is normally achieved through a system of open competition following advertisement which details the subject requirements of the post. Selection is by means of interview...

Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board as the single national body with responsibility for school attendance. The general functions of the board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. To discharge its responsibilities, the board is developing a nationwide service that is...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154, 624, 625, 676 and 679 together. Since 1997, the Government has dramatically increased the number of teachers in schools. At primary level more then 4,500 additional teachers, including nearly 2,500 resource teachers, have been employed. At post-primary level approximately 1,900 additional teaching posts have been allocated during this period. These...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: All recognised primary and post-primary schools are required to offer relationships and sexuality education, RSE. It is an integral part of the social, personal and health education, SPHE, curriculum at primary level and at junior cycle post-primary level. In addition, all schools are required to have an agreed school policy and a suitable relationships and sexuality education programme in...

Written Answers — Multi-Denominational Schools: Multi-Denominational Schools (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 156, 178 and 596 together. The level of funding that my Department provides to Educate Together as a school management body is on a par with that provided to Foras Patrúnachta na Scoileanna Lánghaeilge, the Church of Ireland Board of Education, the Islamic Board of Education and the National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education. However,...