Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her timeframe for implementing the recommendations of the task force on student behaviour; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10726/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In early 2006, 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 multidisciplinary 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; Ongoing training for the NBSS team and; Research into and communication with behaviour support systems in other jurisdictions.

The NBSS commenced its engagement with schools through a series of information seminars organised throughout the country. As part of this initial engagement, the NBSS invited schools across the country to formally make application to benefit from its services. As a result of this process, the NBSS has now completed its consideration of 124 applications that were received from individual schools for support from the service, including the establishment of Behaviour Support Classrooms. The applicant schools are drawn from each of the school sectors and represent a good geographic and gender profile mix.

Based on careful consideration of each application, fifty schools have now been identified to receive support as part of a phased roll out of activity under the new service. Each of these fifty schools will be notified of their participation and a progressive roll-out of services to these schools will shortly commence.

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 trialling the concept of a behaviour support classroom in up to 30 schools this 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.

The Deputy will be aware that I recently published the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill. The Bill will give effect to the Task Force recommendations and set out criteria to be taken into account in the section 29 appeal process. These will include consideration of the right of the individual student to an inclusive education as well as the right of the general body of students and the whole school community to the maintenance of a school and classroom environment which is conducive to learning.

In the 2007 Estimates, I have provided €8 million to support the work of the NBSS, in helping schools promote positive student behaviour at second level.