Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 452: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if iniquitous funding in insurance payments is contributing to a situation where assistant principals in voluntary secondary schools have to carry out their middle management duties in addition to 22 hours of class contact time whereas teachers at the assistant principal grade in community and vocational schools teach an 18 hour class contact time to allow for carrying out of middle management duties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42381/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The terms and conditions of employment for teachers are a matter for the Teachers Conciliation Council, which is comprised of representatives of the teachers unions, school management, the Department of Finance and the Department of Education and Science.

Significant improvements in the levels of direct funding to second level schools have been made in recent years. The funding arrangements made by my Department for second level schools reflect the sectoral division of our second level system. At the core of all arrangements is a reliance upon capitation as the principle determinant of funding. There are however significant differences in the approaches to insurance cover. In my view it is important to consider these issues in the wider context of the equalisation of funding arrangements across the second level system.

My Department provides funding to secondary schools by way of per capita grants, which affords schools considerable flexibility in the use of these resources to cater for the needs of their pupils. There have been significant improvements in recent years in the level of funding for voluntary secondary schools. In addition to the €12 per pupil increase in 2006 in the standard per capita grant that now stands at €298 per pupil, voluntary secondary schools have benefited additionally by the increase of €14 per pupil in 2006 in the support services grant bringing the overall grant to €159 per pupil.

I wish to draw the attention of the Deputy to my announcement of further significant increases in the context of the 2007 estimates. From 1 January next the standard per capita grant will be increased by a further €18 to €316 per pupil. In addition, the support services grant will be increased by a further €30 for voluntary secondary schools, which includes a further equalisation measure, to €189 per pupil. For such schools this cumulative increase of €48 per pupil will bring the aggregate grant to over €500 per pupil from 1 January next. These grants are in addition to the per capita funding of up to €40,000 per school that is also provided by my Department to secondary schools towards secretarial and care-taking services. For example in the case of a secondary school with 500 pupils, this will bring annual grants towards general expenses and support service to over €290,000.

Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 453: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the iniquitous situation in the area of insurance payments to voluntary secondary schools is adding to the number of voluntary secondary teachers seeking early retirement in view of the fact that their duties involve dealing with student indiscipline and truancy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42382/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am puzzled by the link made by the Deputy between the funding of school insurance costs in the voluntary schools and early retirement of teachers in that sector.

All teachers, whether they are teaching in vocational, community and comprehensive or voluntary secondary schools have to deal with student discipline issues as part of their normal duties.

My Department has issued guidelines to the Management Authorities of second level schools on meeting their obligations under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act to ensure the safety and health of their employees.

The close interaction of the school management with staff and parents in developing effective school policies on school discipline, bullying and health and safety contributes to a positive school environment where mutual respect, co-operation and natural justice are accepted features of the school community by all.

School Management Authorities are responsible for ensuring that a fair and efficient code of behaviour, encompassing rules, sanctions and procedures, is drawn up and applied in the school. The Code should be developed by the Principal and the staff in consultation with parents and approved by the School Management Authority. Parents should be circularised regarding the Code when it is finalised.

This Code should have as its aim the maintenance of desirable standards of behaviour, particularly in fostering understanding and co-operation between teachers, pupils and parents in helping schools to adapt to the needs of its students while establishing the basis for responsible actions by its students and observing the principles of natural justice. Any sanction imposed on a pupil should be in accordance with the Code of Discipline. Procedures for suspending pupils should be clearly set out in the school's Code of Discipline and should be adhered to. Aggressive, threatening or violent behaviour towards a teacher is regarded as serious or gross misbehaviour and may warrant suspension.

The National Educational Welfare Board is currently working on revised Guidelines for Developing School Codes of Behaviour. This work is nearing completion and I expect that the revised Guidelines will be available in the new year.

As a supportive resource, teachers can now access an Employee Assistance Service, EAS, specifically tailored to meet their particular needs. The EAS now available to teachers throughout the country is designed to support the health and well-being of teachers which will in turn positively affect work quality and performance. The service will incorporate confidential counselling on issues such as health, relationships, addictions, bereavement, stress, conflict, critical incident and trauma.

Services include, single session or short term structured telephone counselling, face to face short term confidential counselling as well as critical incident debriefing.

Earlier this year I announced an implementation strategy following publication of "School Matters" the Report of the Task Force on Student Behaviour in Second Level Schools, and that strategy is now well advanced.

At the core of the recommendations of the Task Force was the putting in place of a National Behaviour Support Service, NBSS. This has now happened with the appointment of a National Co-ordinator and four Assistant National Co-ordinators. In addition, nine Regional Development Officers and twenty part-time Associates have been recruited to ensure the success of this significant initiative. A key feature of the composition of the National Behaviour Support Service is the assignment to it of a senior psychologist and three psychologists. These have been seconded from the National Educational Psychological Service and their presence will ensure that the team operates in a multi-disciplinary way. A full-time administrator is based in Navan Education Centre.

Since their appointment, the team has been working on a number of key issues: the development of a Draft National Framework for Behaviour Improvement; the development of models of good practice for systems in schools which assist with and impact on classroom and whole school behaviour; on-going training for the NBSS team; and research into and communication with behaviour support systems in other jurisdictions.

The NBSS has commenced its engagement with schools and a series of information seminars have been organised throughout the country. Subsequently intensive work will begin with a smaller number of schools most in need of this intervention.

It is my intention that this new service will work intensively with those schools initially selected for inclusion in this development. I have already announced that part of this work will see us testing the concept of a behaviour support classroom in up to 30 schools next year. I want to emphasise however that these classrooms cannot be, in themselves, a solution to the issue of poor student behaviour. They must be one part of a holistic response which should see a school, actively supported by the Behaviour Support Team, defining for itself a pathway to improvement.

I wish to draw the attention of the Deputy to my announcement in the context of the 2007 Estimates, that I am providing €8million to support the work of the NBSS, in helping schools promote positive student behaviour at second level.

A teacher may retire voluntarily where s/he has attained the necessary age or service threshold. A teacher on voluntary retirement does not have to specify a reason for choosing to retire at that time and is only required to give 3 months prior notice.

With regard to teachers who retire under the Early Retirement Strands, Strand 1 is available to teachers who are consistently experiencing professional difficulties in their teaching duties; Strand 2 is available to teachers whose retirement will provide their school with an opportunity to enhance the education service provided through facilitating change and Strand 3 is for teachers in posts which are surplus to requirements.