Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 100: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the new whole school evaluation MLL model at second level is being used to evaluate the effectiveness of the steps schools are taking to prevent and respond to each of racist bullying and homophobic bullying and if so, the number of schools that will be evaluated for each of these issues in each the school years 2010-11 and 2011-12. [7897/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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In the Whole-School Evaluation - Management, Leadership and Learning (WSE-MLL) process at second level, inspectors examine a range of policies within the school plan. When reviewing anti-bullying policies and procedures, inspectors focus on the extent to which specific measures are included to prevent and respond to various forms of bullying such as racist and homophobic behaviour, within the framework of the school's overall code of behaviour required under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000.

In reviewing a school's curriculum and timetable within WSE-MLL, inspectors examine provision for Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) which is a compulsory subject in the junior cycle of post-primary schools and which includes content on the issue of bullying.

Meetings with parent representatives and students during WSE-MLL allow opportunities to hear their opinions on school matters which impact directly on them and which may include the issue of bullying. In addition, questionnaires are distributed to large samples of students and parents, typically to all second-year and fifth-year students and their parents. Respondents to these questionnaires are asked specifically about their level of satisfaction with the manner in which bullying is dealt with in the school. Where responses indicate that students and/or parents do not believe that bullying is dealt with effectively, inspectors raise this issue with school management who have ultimate responsibility for anti-bullying policy and procedure.

The Inspectorate plans to conduct approximately 100 whole-school type evaluations in post-primary schools during the calendar year 2011, most of which will be WSE-MLL evaluations. It is expected that a similar number will be conducted in 2012.