Results 17,001-17,020 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Multi-Denominational Schools: Multi-Denominational Schools (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97, 406 and 448 together. The level of funding that the Department of Education and Science provides to Educate Together as a school management body is on a par with that provided to Foras Patrúnachta na Gaelscoileanna, the Church of Ireland Board of Education, the Islamic Board of Education and the National Association of Boards of Management in Special...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The social, personal and health education programme and the school development planning initiative are two important mainstream national programmes of support for schools. Both play a central role in assisting schools in a co-ordinated and cohesive manner to deal with the problem of bullying. In recent years, several pilot programmes have also addressed this issue. Pilot programmes are...

Written Answers — Schools Evaluation: Schools Evaluation (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Recently I announced that reports arising from the inspection of schools and centres for education will be published. I have instructed the inspectorate of the Department of Education and Science to consult the education partners on how best this should be done. The ongoing consultation process began last month. I await the outcome of the consultations.

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: At primary level, the recommended minimum time, excluding discretionary curriculum time for Irish as a second language is 3.5 hours per week or 2.5 hours per week where a short day is provided for the infant classes. At second level, the syllabi for senior cycle are designed around a recommended instruction time of 180 hours and those for the junior cycle 240 to 270 hours over the three years...

Written Answers — Garda Vetting Procedures: Garda Vetting Procedures (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In the education sector, vetting is available in respect of prospective employees of children detention schools as well as special needs assistants and bus escorts to children with special needs. Upon the entry into force of the Teaching Council Act 2001, the council will have a regulatory function in respect of the teaching profession. It will be under a statutory obligation to establish and...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The report of the primary education committee contains several recommendations aimed at increasing the number of males entering primary teaching. The report is being considered by the relevant officials in the Department of Education and Science. The relatively low levels of men in the primary teaching force, a feature common to all OECD countries, is an issue that is of concern to me. It is...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A recent report by the Association of Higher Education Access and Disability, AHEAD, submitted to the Department of Education and Science indicates in the academic year 2004-05 students with a disability formed 2.7% — 1,366 — of full-time undergraduates in the sector. This figure compares with a participation rate of 1.5% for the institutes in the last AHEAD survey in 1998. It also...

Written Answers — Schools Evaluation: Schools Evaluation (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There is no requirement for second level schools to produce such a report. However, the Education Act 1998 requires the board of management of a school to establish procedures for informing the parents of students in the school of matters relating to the operation and performance of the school. Such procedures may include the publication of a report on the operation and performance of the...

Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Early education covers the period from birth to six years. At present, almost all five year olds and half of four year olds attend junior infant and senior infant classes in primary schools. Outside of junior classes in primary schools, my Department's main role in the area of early childhood education focuses on pre-school provision for children from disadvantaged areas, Traveller children...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Significant improvements have been made in the pupil-teacher ratio and in average class size in recent years at primary level. The most recent figure available for average class size at primary level refers to the 2003-04 school year, when the average class size was 23.9, down from 26.6 in 1996-97. The pupil-teacher ratio at primary level, which includes resource teachers, has fallen from...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, the new action plan for educational inclusion, which I launched last May, aims to ensure 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...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Comprehensive surveys of participation in third level education, based on CAO data, have been conducted since the 1980s by the Higher Education Authority. The most recent sample survey, for 2005, shows there has been a significant improvement in the progression rate of young people in the Finglas-Ballymun, Dublin 11, area to third level education which has risen from 14% in 1998 to 27% of the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 394 and 395 together. The Deputy is aware that it is proposed to rationalise the primary educational provision in New Ross. There is general agreement locally to this development. Architectural assessments have recently been carried out on all four primary schools to determine which, if any, would be suitable to act as hosts for the proposed rationalisation....

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the higher education grants scheme, the vocational education committees' scholarships scheme, the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees and the maintenance grants scheme for students attending post leaving certificate courses. The higher education grants scheme is...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am please to inform the Deputy that funding has been sanctioned for the school in question to carry out health and safety works including a new car park.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Officials in the transport liaison office at County Louth VEC, which administers the school transport scheme at post-primary level on behalf of my Department, recently confirmed to my Department that an offer of concessionary fare-paying transport has been made to the pupil referred to by the Deputy. It is important to point out that the offer of concessionary fare-paying transport was made...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 399 to 402, inclusive, together. The building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an early stage of architectural planning. However, owing to a continuing decline in enrolments and the level of investment which would be required to facilitate a relatively small number of pupils, it was decided not to allow the proposed project to progress...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The new eight classroom building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. My Department's officials are in the process of examining a recently received stage 2 submission, developed sketch scheme, and when this examination is completed will be in contact with the school authorities with regard to the next steps involved in progressing...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is responsible for teacher education and development, with particular regard to initial teacher education covering the colleges of education and the education departments in the universities and colleges. Applications for the higher diploma in education are made through the Higher Diploma in Education, National University of Ireland, Applications Centre, known as the HDEAC,...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I have not received any report relating to the investigations into the County Meath school bus crash.