Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has received a copy of the ASTI survey on science 2006; her views on its findings which include a perception on the part of students that science is a hard subject, inadequate facilities for science in many schools and only 22% of teachers use information and communications technology in their teaching on a regular basis, mainly due to lack of time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19888/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I have read the results of the ASTI survey to which the Deputy refers. I note that while 311 teachers participated in the survey there is no indication of the number of schools involved in the survey. Neither is the extent to which these schools formed a representative sample in terms of size, location, etc indicated. I know that 78% of participating schools were in the voluntary secondary sector although only 54% of our schools are in this sector. So, some care must be exercised in drawing conclusions from the results of this survey as presented.

The survey does indicate that there is a general perception among students that the sciences, particularly the physical sciences, are difficult subjects. Similar findings have been reported in other surveys, including those carried out in other jurisdictions. It is widely recognised that students' perceptions are influenced by a variety of factors, only some of which relate to syllabus content and assessment procedures. Notwithstanding the above, a key principle which underpins the work of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), the statutory body which has responsibility for developing and revising syllabuses, is that the level of difficulty of each syllabus should be as appropriate as possible to the cohort of students for which the syllabus is intended. The State Examinations Commission also gives due cognisance to appropriate standards when producing examination papers and drawing up marking schemes in the various subjects.

The report presents several statistics in relation to laboratory provision in the schools included in the survey. In the absence of any information on the size of the schools in question, it is not possible to comment on the adequacy of the numbers of laboratories quoted in the report. However, in the context of introducing the revised Junior Certificate Science syllabus, schools were given an opportunity to seek a derogation from introducing the revised syllabus on the basis of a shortfall in laboratory space. Only four schools did so. The needs of these schools are being progressed by my Department's Building Unit of my Department. The issues around the timetabling of laboratories for a particular subject alluded to in the report are matters for local school management.

To support the introduction of the revised Junior Certificate Science syllabus my Department provided substantial equipment grants to schools in the Free Education Scheme. All such schools were provided with a grant of €3500 for each junior science laboratory in the school. In addition, schools were invited to apply for an enhanced grant on the basis of their identified needs. In total, some €16 million was made available to schools in 2004 for the purchase of equipment and the refurbishment of school laboratories in the context of the introduction of the revised syllabus.

Since the introduction of the ICT in Schools Initiative in 1998 the Government has made major investment in the integration of ICT into teaching and learning. There has been significant progress in the development of ICT infrastructure in schools, in enhancing teachers' skills and pedagogical practice and in the development of curriculum and learning resources. Since 2004, my Department has issued over €20m to schools to facilitate the development of their school ICT networks. In the current school year all schools are being provided with broadband internet access as part of a joint Government- IBEC/TIF (Telecommunications and Internet Federation) project. The local schools connectivity is being provided via a Schools National Broadband Network, supported by HEAnet, and a broadband support service is being managed by the National Centre for Technology in Education. The overall costs of the Schools Broadband Programme, including the initial set-up and ongoing costs over three years, are some €30m.

Regarding the use of ICT by teachers, the Inspectorate of my Department is currently undertaking an evaluation of the impact of ICT on teaching and learning at both primary and post-primary levels. I look forward to receiving the Inspectorate's report which I expect early in 2007.