Results 17,561-17,580 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I agree that this is disappointing, so late in the day. This process started in November 2011 when the NCCA published its document Towards a Framework for Junior Cycle, which was very much welcomed as a hugely positive approach, to move away from rote learning and the final examination to value a broader range of experience. Much work was done to get that agreed. It has been agreed by one...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: A number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 have been commenced, including those establishing the National Council for Special Education and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children. Under the programme for a partnership Government, I will initiate consultation with stakeholders on how best to progress sections of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The reasons for moving to the other system are outlined in my reply. The council responsible for special education needs feels resources are required for children to be professionally assessed, but the parents of many children are unable to afford that. Therefore, some children's needs might be undetected. The new model takes into account not only children who have had an assessment within...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I understand that in the 47 schools in the pilot programme there has been a significant investment of support to ensure the resources, including special needs assistants, resource teachers and learning support teachers, are deployed in the best interest of the entire school population but that they are focused, in particular, on children with special needs. The schools are using the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Guidance Counsellors (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The programme for Government contains a commitment to reintroduce guidance counselling to secondary schools. The current budget provides an improved staffing allocation to second level schools for the purpose of enhancing guidance provision. This improvement takes effect from next September. It brings the basis of allocation from 19:1 to 18.7:1 for the 2016-2017 school year. This...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Guidance Counsellors (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I may have misled the Deputy somehow. Some 50% has been restored. In other words, half of what was lost has been restored. The 0.3 relates to the pupil-teacher ratio. It refers to the improvement in the teacher ratio. Some 50% of what was lost has been returned to the schools and they have the discretion to allocate that resource as they choose. The guideline encourages them to use it...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I congratulate Deputies Thomas Byrne and Carol Nolan on taking up their new responsibilities. Like me, they are new to the job, although Deputy Nolan has an advantage over us in that she has worked in the education system. I am sure, however, that Deputy Byrne and I will be fast learners.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: It is good to see a man from the royal county. Support from the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, is available to every recognised primary and second level school. NEPS, in consultation with schools, prioritises children for support, consultation and-or assessment who have failed to make adequate progress despite an appropriate continuum of support being delivered for...

Order of Business (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: That is crucial.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Government has committed to establishing a Public Service Pay Commission to examine pay levels across the Public Service, including the entry pay levels to which the Deputy refers. The Government recognises the importance of being able to attract quality new entrants to the Public Service, particularly so in important professional areas like education. The restrictions in entry pay...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Health and Safety (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: Schools have a role to play in supporting their students to develop the key skills and knowledge to enable them to make informed choices when faced with a range of difficult issues, including drugs and alcohol. This is mainly done through the Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme, which has a specific module on the use and misuse of a range of substances. Addiction...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools Scheme (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I understand that the school to which the Deputy refers was established on 1 September 2010 and has been the subject of a series of representations to my Department seeking its inclusion in DEIS. These representations were unsuccessful as no school has been admitted to the DEIS programme since 2009. The decision not to admit further schools to the programme was taken in light of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Parent and Student Charter (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware the Programme for a Partnership Government provides that the Government will introduce a stronger complaints procedure and charter for parents, and commence the Fitness to Teach provisions of the Teaching Council Act. The Programme also provides that the role and power of an Ombudsman for Education, to whom a parent could complain and appeal on foot of a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Government has committed to establishing a Public Service Pay Commission to examine pay levels across the Public Service, including the entry pay levels to which the Deputy refers. The Government recognises the importance of being able to attract quality new entrants to the Public Service, particularly so in important professional areas like education. The restrictions in entry pay levels...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Programme (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, the new Programme for Government outlines that this new Government will continue to support the creation of Technological Universities. This is in line with the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 which provides a framework for the development of the higher education sector to 2030. With regard to the institute of technology sector, the Strategy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Reform (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The new Framework for Junior Cycle (2015) offers a significant opportunity to improve the experience for learners, to broaden the range of competences which they acquire, and to facilitate more flexible teaching catering to the different needs of students with ongoing feedback. The Department has set out a schedule for the roll out of this new approach across all subjects over a 5 year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Government has committed to establishing a Public Service Pay Commission to examine pay levels across the Public Service, including the entry pay levels to which the Deputy refers. The Government recognises the importance of being able to attract quality new entrants to the Public Service, particularly so in important professional areas like education. The restrictions in entry pay levels...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Government has committed to establishing a Public Service Pay Commission to examine pay levels across the Public Service, including the entry pay levels to which the Deputy refers. The Government recognises the importance of being able to attract quality new entrants to the Public Service, particularly so in important professional areas like education. The restrictions in entry pay levels...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Reform (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I would like to thank the Deputy for her question. As you are aware I received my seal of office on the evening of 6th May, just less than two weeks ago. The formal negotiations with the two second level teacher unions and my Department were completed last summer. In fact, my predecessor and the leaders of the two unions, on 22nd May 2015, signed a joint statement on the "Principles...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides guidelines and resource materials for schools to enable them to deal with certain traumatic events which can adversely affect pupils and teachers. The guidelines refer to preventative approaches that schools can adopt in creating a safe and supportive environment. The publication provides step-by-step guidelines...