The Department has published guidelines to support schools in making adapted education provision for those children who cannot return to school because they are medically certified as being at very high risk to Covid-19. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre and the HSE have published guidance on the return to school of at-risk groups. The advice confirms that the vast majority of children can return to school and it is important for the overall health and well-being of children to attend school. This guidance …

I absolutely appreciate that this is an anxious time for everyone across all sectors of society. We must acknowledge as well that everything that can be done is being done, especially within our school environment. All the measures that need to be put in place within our schools have been put in place. The resources that were necessary have been put in place. It is a tribute to the manner in which those aspects are being implemented by school communities throughout the country that we can say schools are safe place…

Deputy Ó Laoghaire is correct. It is only right and proper that there would be an opportunity for a review of any decision. That mechanism is in place. It is an independent review by medical experts. Individuals who wish to have their case reviewed have the opportunity for that and to provide, if they wish, updated or new medical evidence that may be assessed. In the first instance, some 1,785 people applied to be considered within the process. A total of 913 were categorised as very high risk, 802 were classified …

As Minister for Education and Skills, I am committed to ensuring the State examinations of 2021 operate as normally as possible, subject to the prevailing public health advice at that time. This commitment is shared by the State Examinations Commission, SEC, which has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. It continues to be a priority for the Government to keep our schools open now that they have been reopened. The Department of Education and Skills has put in pl…

I confirm again to the Deputy that I am absolutely committed to ensuring the State examinations of 2021 will operate what we might call traditionally and as normal. This is a commitment shared, as I said, by the State Examinations Commission which has statutory responsibility for operating the exams. We are moving in that direction, as the Deputy outlined. There is an absolute commitment from the Government and, indeed, it became very clear at the weekend, from wider society also, that schools would remain open and…

The Deputy is quite correct that more than 2,800 students have registered to take the exam in November. It is important that option was made available to students. They will also have the opportunity, when they have completed those exams, to take whichever of the grades suits or advantages them best, be it the calculated grade they received or the final grade they will get for the written exam. The exams are being scheduled at times to best meet the needs of the students, in that they are taking place in evenings a…

They are being accommodated in their schools.

In order to plan for school provision and analysis of the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, GIS, using data from a range of sources, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. With this information, the Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to determine where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary levels. Major new residential dev…

It is my understanding that there are 11 other post-primary schools in the Galway city school planning area. It is also my understanding that the demographic analysis is correct in terms of using geographical information systems and using data from a range of sources which identifies where the pressures for schools places across the country will arise. With this information the Department has carried out a demographic exercise. In regard to what the Deputy is talking about, that is, the additional school accommodat…

I do not take from the genuine case that the Deputy is making for this school, nor do I dispute the figures she has given. I must say that the Department, in looking at all the available options, is satisfied that sufficient places are available for all post-primary pupils in the school planning area, going forward. However, I will say to the Deputy that the planning and building unit of the Department is currently reviewing all 314 school planning areas to ensure that all pupils will have places, going forward, an…

The SEC, which has operational responsibility for the State examinations, has informed me that some 2,800 candidates have applied to sit the November 2020 leaving certificate written examinations. These exams will commence on Monday, 16 November, subject to public health advice. To ensure comparability with the calculated grades system, the examinations will be based on the normal question paper format, content, structure and duration as in previous years. Candidates will be graded on the basis of their written pap…

I thank both Deputies. To put their questions in context, the prevailing circumstances of the pandemic at the time meant that it was not possible to house the traditional exams as they are normally experienced. The Deputies will recall that in April, the written exams were deferred until July. On 8 May, a further decision was taken because of the pandemic that it was not possible for those exams to be sat in July and the calculated grade model was introduced. That model was first mooted by students and, following c…

I reiterate that the reason the exams did not take place at the traditional time, which would have been June, or the deferred time, which would have been July, was because of the prevailing circumstances at that time. It was not possible at the time, under public health advice, for exams to take place. For that reason, the calculated grades process and the opportunity to take the written exams in November were introduced. I am not clear on the Deputy's point. Is she asserting that the exams in November should not t…

I thank the Deputy for his question. The staffing schedule is an allocation mechanism that uses enrolment bands to determine the number of classroom teaching posts allocated to a school. This is a long-standing arrangement, as the Deputy will be aware, for allocating teaching posts to our primary schools in a fair and equitable way based on their respective enrolment. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally, irrespective of their location. For…

I thank both Deputies. As I have already outlined, the school staffing schedule is 26:1 and will in the future be 25:1. I acknowledge, as referred to by both Deputies, the current situation with Covid-19 and I confirm again that a substantial package of measures was put in place to ensure that schools could operate as advised under the safe schools reopening plan. A package in excess of €375 million, which has been increased in recent months, was made available. Among the package of supports was minor works program…

I thank the Deputy. As she will be aware, under the programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil-teacher ratios in primary schools. The budgets of 2016 and 2018 improved the staffing schedule by one point on both occasions to its historically lowest level ever of one teacher to 26 pupils. I was delighted to build further on this progress yesterday by announcing a further one-point reduction in yesterday’s budget. The staffing schedule for the next academic ye…

I thank the Deputy and reiterate that there has been an unprecedented financial package allocated to the schools sector in recent months which is in excess of €375 million. This is unprecedented and never before were resources of that nature allocated to the education sector. This underlines the determination and commitment of the Government to recognise the great importance of the role played by the education sector in our society. That commitment was continued yesterday, as referred to by the Deputy, with the opp…

Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 all schools must have drafted new school admission policies. These new policies have been approved by the respective patrons and are now published on individual school websites. They will apply for admissions to schools from September 2021 onwards. The Act requires schools to set out clearly their selection criteria in their admissions policies. Schools and their patrons have discretion in regard to their admission criteria and how they are appli…

I will forward the information to the Deputy. I would like to reiterate the obligations here. The Act requires the schools to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admissions policies and provides that the schools and their patrons have discretion in regard to their admissions criteria and how they are applied once it is non-discriminatory and fair. If a school wishes to include a selection criterion for siblings, it can do so as it is permitted under the existing Act. The criteria are to be applied by …

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has published guidance to support schools in making adapted education provision for pupils who cannot return to school because they are medically certified as being at very high risk due to Covid-19. It is important that pupils in these circumstances maintain a meaningful connection with their class and school to continue their learning from home successfully. Schools have discretion to manage and redistribute their teaching support resources to best meet the learning need…