Written answers

Wednesday, 30 January 2008

Department of Education and Science

Education Welfare Service

8:00 pm

Photo of Mary UptonMary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 1029: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has satisfied herself that the Education Welfare Board is adequately resourced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2021/08]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) as the single statutory body with responsibility for school attendance. The Act provides a comprehensive framework promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The general functions of the Board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The Board runs promotional campaigns on the importance of attendance and finishing school and provides a service locally through its Education Welfare Officers to parents, children and schools.

An additional 15 staff was allocated to the NEWB in 2007. This brings the current authorised staffing of the Board to 109 posts of which 90 are allocated to working directly in the service delivery area. The staffing complement is comprised of 19 HQ and support staff, 5 regional managers, 13 Senior EWOs and 72 EWOs.

It should, however, be remembered that the service provided by the Board is just one aspect of the comprehensive framework that this Government has put in place to improve school attendance and encourage more young people to finish school. In this regard, extra supports targeted at young people in disadvantaged areas include both educational initiatives such as intensive literacy programmes and the provision of breakfast and homework clubs. In fact, in addition to the NEWB, there are currently in excess of 620 staff within the education sector in education disadvantage programmes of which over 130 are additional posts allocated under DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) the action plan for educational inclusion which provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). The SSP incorporating the School Completion Programme (SCP) and the Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) is a preventative measure designed to combat issues of poor attendance and early school leaving. The Home School Community Liaison Scheme works to involve parents in their children's education which is a crucial component in convincing young people of the value of education. School attendance is a central objective of School Completion Programme with targeted interventions for children at risk of early school leaving through a variety of extra supports aimed at encouraging them to stay in school. The supports cover both educational and non-educational interventions and are provided during and outside of school time. Consequently work is ongoing to develop appropriate protocols for all agencies and services to work together in collaboration and to ensure that optimum use is made of the resources deployed.

This government is determined to do all that is possible to ensure that every child gets all the opportunities and support they need to enable them to achieve their potential and participate fully in education. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that funding to the Board last year amounted to €9.808 million. This represented an increase of 20% on the 2006 allocation and of 50% on the 2004 level. This substantial increase in funding gave a clear indication of this Government's commitment to prioritise investment in favour of those most at risk. Through increased investment and improved services we are determined to optimise access, participation and educational outcomes at every level of the system for disadvantaged groups. The allocation to the Board in 2008 is €10.119 million.

I will be keeping the issue of resources for the NEWB under review in light of the rollout of services, the scope for integrated working and any proposals that the Board may put to me in relation to clearly identified priority needs.

Photo of Mary UptonMary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 1030: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she is satisfied that the Education Welfare Board is in a position to provide back-up services to school principals where behavioural problems of or serious incidents by pupils are reported to the board; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2022/08]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) was established under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 as the single statutory body with responsibility for school attendance. The Act provides a comprehensive framework promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The general functions of the Board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The Board runs promotional campaigns on the importance of attendance and finishing school and provides a service locally through its Education Welfare Officers to parents, children and schools. Therefore the provision of services to schools to address behaviour problems does not fall directly within the remit of the Board.

The Deputy may be assured however that the Board operates in close liaison with the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and is developing working protocols to ensure interagency collaboration to address issues of behaviour that impact negatively on attendance.

My Department remains committed to the development of a strong and robust approach to dealing with the issue of student behavioural problems and has introduced significant measures over the recent years to address this matter.

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). The NBSS was established in 2006 with the appointment of a National Co-ordinator and five Assistant National Co-ordinators. In addition, ten Regional Development Officers and fourteen part-time Associates were 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 team of four 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.

In addition all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby the school can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly.

It has always been the policy of NEPS, within the normal boundaries of finance and process, to endeavour to respond positively and flexibly to extraordinary need and circumstance as presented by school authorities on occasion and it is open to school Principals who have urgent needs for pupil assessment in excess of allocation to discuss the matter with the local NEPS Regional Director.

My Department is committed to supporting schools and I want to advise the Deputy that since its establishment the number of psychologists allocated to NEPS has trebled. Notwithstanding this and as I have previously announced my Department is committed to further increasing psychological services, so that by 2009 there will be 200 NEPS psychologists working to support schools. Current numbers stand at 138 and it is my intention to expand psychologist numbers further to some 169 during 2008.

Photo of Mary UptonMary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 1031: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary school pupils that have come to the attention of the board in 2006 and 2007 and for whom alternative school places were sought; the number of such pupils for whom places in alternative education were provided; the length of time such pupils were waiting to be placed in alternative education; the number for whom places were not found; the role of the board in accessing such places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2023/08]

Photo of Mary UptonMary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 1032: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of second level pupils in 2006 and 2007 that have come to the attention of the board and for whom alternative school places were sought; the number of such pupils for whom places in alternative education were provided; the length of time such pupils were waiting to be placed; the number for whom places were not found; the role of the board in accessing such places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2024/08]

Photo of Mary UptonMary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 1033: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary school pupils that came to the attention of the Education Welfare Board because of absence from school in 2006 and 2007; the action taken by the board in these cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2025/08]

Photo of Mary UptonMary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 1034: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of second level pupils who came to the attention of the Education Welfare Board because of absence from school in 2006 and 2007; the action taken by the board in these cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2026/08]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1031 to 1034, inclusive, together.

The Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) as the single statutory body with responsibility for school attendance. The Act provides a comprehensive framework promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The general functions of the Board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The Board runs promotional campaigns on the importance of attendance and finishing school and provides a service locally through its Education Welfare Officers to parents, children and schools.

The current allocation to the Board is €10.119 million and an additional 15 staff allocated to the NEWB in 2007 brings the current authorised staffing of the Board to 109 posts of which 90 are allocated to working directly in the service delivery area. The staffing complement is comprised of 19 HQ and support staff, 5 regional managers, 13 Senior EWOs and 72 EWOs.

In meeting its responsibility, the Board works with schools, families and other agencies and services to ensure that appropriate interventions are made. The needs of children vary considerably from those who are not attending school, to those for whom there is no school place while in other cases, placement in an alternative education programme like Youthreach may be more appropriate. In exceptional cases where difficulties arise with placement my Department sanctions home tuition hours to facilitate ongoing minimum education until a suitable long term solution is put in place by the Board.

The Board estimates that it works with about 10,000 cases per year involving students with reported school attendance difficulties. The reasons for non-attendance range from those children who experience a variety of problems that impact negatively on their attendance in school to cases which involve parents who fail to enrol their child in a school or to ensure their child's regular attendance at school. The Board have also informed me that the detailed data requested by the Deputy is not currently collected by the Board.

The Board also has particular responsibility under the Act in terms of children who are educated in settings outside of a recognised school. Under Section 14 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, parents of such children must apply to the Board to have their child registered and an assessment is then carried out. Such assessments are conducted in accordance with guidelines issued by my Department. The aim of the assessment is to ensure that each child receives at least "a certain minimum education" in the alternative.

This government is determined to do all that is possible to ensure that every child gets all the opportunities and support they need to enable them to achieve their potential and participate fully in education. The service provided by the Board is just one aspect of the comprehensive framework that this Government has put in place to improve school attendance and encourage more young people to finish school. In this regard, extra supports targeted at young people in disadvantaged areas cover both educational and non-educational interventions and are provided during and outside of school time. These include intensive literacy programmes and the provision of breakfast and homeworkclubs.

In addition to the NEWB, there are currently in excess of 620 staff within the education sector in education disadvantage programmes of which over 130 are additional posts allocated under DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) the action plan for educational inclusion which provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP).

The School Completion Programme (SCP) and the Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) are preventative measures designed to combat issues of poor attendance and early school leaving. The Home School Community Liaison Scheme works to involve parents in their children's education which is a key component in convincing young people of the value of education. School attendance is a central objective of School Completion Programme with targeted interventions for children at risk of early school leaving through a variety of extra supports aimed at encouraging them to stay in school. Consequently work is ongoing to develop appropriate protocols for all agencies and services to work together in collaboration and to ensure that optimum use is made of the resources deployed.

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