A New Direction in Education

COLM

BROPHY TD

Irish people have always made sacrifices for their children’s education and for a very good reason. Education is unique because it: • Opens up the opportunity to fulfil a person’s full potential • Equips young people with the skills they need to deal with the challenges of life • Drives better living standards and strong enterprises

Now that our economic progress is allowing us to invest more in Education, it is our ambition that Ireland would, within a decade, have the best Education and Training Service in Europe. The best at both creating equality of opportunity and delivering excellence.

MAKING GOOD PROGRESS Fine Gael has started a major reinvestment in Education. Since 2016 we are: • Employing 6,300 extra teachers and 3,000 extra SNA’s • Investing an additional €1billion in Education • Doubling the number enrolling in Apprenticeships and Traineeships to 10,000 in 2018 We have cut primary school class sizes twice, they are now the smallest they have ever been.

The number of children entering our schools is rising rapidly. This has been a challenge in the difficult years, yet we have managed to build over 200 new schools and 175,000 extra places. Having this flow of young talent coming through our schools makes us unique in Europe. Irish 10 year-olds are now best in Europe in literacy and numeracy, which is a great tribute to the quality of our teachers.

At Third Level, we are also making fresh investment and have already committed €300m to the new Grangegorman Campus for DIT. We have also committed to investing in projects in IT Blanchardstown and IT Tallaght as they prepare to merge with DIT to create a new Technological University.

42 NEW SCHOOLS Ireland is fortunate to have a growing youth population and as part of the plan for their future needs the Government has announced 42 new schools to open over the next four years, which

Colm Brophy T.D. with An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Principals Kathryn Corbett and Ann Nolan at the opening of a new school building for Bishop Galvin and Bishop Shanahan National Schools

will provide over 20,000 new school places.

The patronage of these schools will be decided by parental preference in each area. This is an opportunity for parents to decide if they wish

to see more diversity among the patrons of schools i.e. private patrons or public patrons, denominational or non/multi-denominational, Irish medium or English medium schools.

COLM BROPHY TD: Dáil Éireann, Leinster House, Kildare St, D02 A272. Tel: 01-6183196 Email: colm.brophy@oireachtas.ie CBrophy_A New Direction in Education_EDIT_Sept18_rev3.indd 1

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GOALS FOR EDUCATION SOME ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE 2011

BEST BY 2026 Talent will be the key for our future success as a country – be it economic, cultural or scientific. Education also holds the key to breaking down the barriers that stop people fulfilling their potential. The ambition to make Ireland’s Education and Training Service the best in Europe by 2026 will require sustained effort and reform.

• School Drop-Out in Disadvantaged Schools halved, to become nearly the lowest in Europe

Aiming to be the best in Europe is a credible ambition. Ireland is one of the top countries in Europe for literacy, at preventing early school leaving, at progressing to higher education, and at producing Science and Computing Graduates. We attract very talented teachers into Education. No investment is more important than that in Education.

• 32% increase in the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds enrolling at Third Level • Extra Special Needs Teachers and SNAs now support 50,000 children with complex needs in school • Irish 10 year olds are 1st at Maths, 1st at Reading and 10th at Science in Europe

€12 BILLION IN MODERN FACILITIES

• At 15 years of age 9th Maths, 2nd Reading, 6th Science • 42,500 people have changed career under Springboard • Apprenticeships have trebled

The 10-year National Development Plan commits to spend €12 Billion on improvements in Education facilities. That’s equivalent to over €10,000 for every full-time student. The level of investment is second only to Housing and Energy in the scale of government commitment. The priorities include: • 20,000 new school places per year • Refurbishment and energy improvements for pre-2008 schools • Replacement of pre-fabs • Modernisation of Digital, Laboratory and PE facilities • Improve the Minor Works Grant over the period • At least 4 new Technological Universities to be formed by Merger and Growth • Major expansions in all our Third Level Colleges with an emphasis on the technologies needed for the future • Modern Training facilities for Apprenticeships and Reskilling This 10-year approach ensures that we plan for the long term and invest in genuine priorities that will endure.

EMPOWERED TO LEAD We are lucky to have such dedicated and professional teachers in this country. School leadership plays a key role in promoting a school environment which is welcoming, inclusive, and accountable, and which is focused on high quality teaching and learning. To support leadership in our schools we are: • Introducing Mentoring, Coaching and a Post Graduate Qualification for 1,000 school leaders per year • Providing 3,000 new posts of Deputy Principal and Assistant Principal to help lead improvement in our schools • Supporting Innovation in our schools by fostering Clusters of schools who work together in areas including Digital Technology, Disadvantage, Stem Creative Arts and Speech and Language

OPENING DOORS Technology is changing the world of work. Irish workers and businesses need to be a step ahead. We are now putting in place investments that will change the face of Higher Education and Training in Ireland, with 21st Century campuses.

A dynamic new model of Technological Universities will offer a spectrum of services. They will span the practical skills of apprenticeships through to the advanced research facilities attuned to enterprise needs, and linked through a series of regional campuses. They will serve not just the population bulge now entering secondary school, but also the increasing need for people in work to upskill.

Colm Brophy T.D. with students from St Dominic’s National School on a tour of Leinster House

COLM BROPHY TD: Dáil Éireann, Leinster House, Kildare St, D02 A272. Tel: 01-6183196 Email: colm.brophy@oireachtas.ie CBrophy_A New Direction in Education_EDIT_Sept18_rev3.indd 2

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ColmBrophyFineGael 27/09/2018 17:37

COLM BROPHY TD BEST EQUIPPED

School is a formative period not only for what you learn, but for developing resilience, discernment, self-confidence, and also cultivating respect for others. The way our children learn and use information is changing. It can be enriched by better subject choices and better methods of learning and assessment. We are taking important initiatives: • New Examinable subjects including Physical Education, Computer Science, Mandarin and Portuguese, for Leaving Certificate • Investing €420m through our Digital Education Strategy to harness new technology to support better learning • The roll-out of new Junior Cycle is bringing in new ways of learning and assessment, and short courses for new experience

• A focus on Wellbeing of pupils will see 25% more Education Psychologists deployed, an integrated 400 hour programme of Wellbeing at Junior Cycle and a big push to support a whole-school approach to Wellbeing.

• A new Strategy to promote STEM and Foreign Languages

Students need resilience to deal with the challenges of setbacks, bullying, mental health, relationships and sexuality, alcohol, drugs, social media and any other challanges they encounter along their way. A school needs to support this and in turn be supported by the government with access to professional services and resources when required. This year we are taking steps to enhance our approach to Internet Safety, Relationship and Sexuality Education and the place of mobile phones in school.

NEW PATHWAYS Germany has over 300 types of apprenticeships while Ireland traditionally only had 27. We are now developing apprenticeships in over 50 new careers which will gradually come on stream over the next 3 years.

By the end of 2018 we shall have 26 of these new careers open for enrolment including: • Insurance and Financial Services • ICT and Logistics • Tourism and Horticulture • Manufacturing and Engineering Overall in 2018, we hope to enrol 6,000 people into Apprenticeships, almost 4,000 in Traineeships and 7,500 on free Springboard Courses in areas of skill shortage. These options are now being made available to homemakers returning to work.

Colm Brophy T.D with students from Gaelscoil Chnoc Liamhna

SPECIAL EDUCATION

The greatest leap forward for our Education system has made has been the support for children with special needs. Over 50,000 children with complex needs are now getting the opportunity to fulfil their potential through Education. 3,000 extra Special Needs Assistants and 1,600 extra Resource Teachers have been provided to support these children.

A fairer and more effective way for providing teaching support is now in place for pupils with special needs and learning difficulties, dispensing with the expensive need for diagnostic labelling to get help. There are also plans to improve the range and capacity of Special Needs Assistance.

These plans are likely to be piloted before wide introduction.

For example, we are piloting a scheme where Speech and Language Therapists support teachers and SNAs in school to deliver speech and language programmes.

3rd year Students from Tallaght Community School on a recent visit to Leinster House for the CSPE Action Project.

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NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN DUBLIN SOUTH WEST Gael Scoil Chnoc Liamhna

Bishop Galvin NS and Bishop Shanahan NS The old prefab building used by Bishop Galvin was demolished and has been replaced. In the new building there are 8 new classrooms and 5 new resource rooms as well as a connection to the two existing school buildings. Shared between the two schools the two story building has been filled with the latest technology and new furniture.

After the outstanding legal issues have been resolved the Department of Education and skills has completed the purchase of the land where the school is currently located. Once planning has been approved it is expected that this long awaited new school building will be built within a two year period.

NEW SECONDARY SCHOOLS FOR DUBLIN SOUTH WEST Firhouse

Citywest

Kingswood

A new Educate Together Secondary School opened in Firhouse on Monday 27th August 2018. It is currently located in Firhouse Educate Together National School while this 1000 pupil permanent school building is being built.

A site for this school has been located near Abbots Grove in Ballycullen.

A new Secondary school is due to open in Citywest in 2020. This is reflective of the growing population in the area. The Patronage process for this school will commence and engagement with parents in the local community has already taken place to identify preference.

Kingswood Community School opened its doors in August 2016 in temporary accommodation.

The permanent school building construction is expected to be finished

by September 2019.

St Maelruain’s N.S.

The new permanent buildings to replace the prefabs are in the Developed Design Stage. The design is fully developed and is in preparation for approval and a cost plan.

There will be a 24 classroom senior school, as well as an extension and refurbishment for a 24 classroom junior school. In addition, there will be a an interlinking general purpose room.

Your Fine Gael Team Working with Colm Brophy T D Cllr Paula Donovan Rathfarnham Ward Email: pdonovan@cllrs.sdublincoco.ie Tel: 087 220 0741

Cllr Conor McMahon Rathfarnham Ward Email: cmcmahon@cllrs.sdublincoco.ie Tel: 087 765 2302

Cllr Brian Lawlor Templeogue-Terenure Ward Email: blawlor@cllrs.sdublincoco.ie Tel: 087 644 5472

Brian Hayes MEP Dublin Email: Brian.hayes@ep.europa.eu Tel: 01 209 6548 Colm Brophy T.D. with students from Scoil Aonghusa Junior School on a tour of Leinster House

Greenhills College has recently benefit from the generous support of AbbVie Pharmaceuticals, based in Citywest.

Their staff-lead, volunteer programme worked to create a new sensory room, ASD unit, kitchen and library for the School.

Colm Brophy T.D with Principal Ann Bray and Deputy Principal Noel Kelly of

0612

GREENHILLS COLLEGE IMPROVEMENTS

Greenhills College along with staff from AbbVie at the opening of the new facilities.

COLM BROPHY TD Dáil Éireann, Leinster House, Kildare St, D02 A272.

Tel: 01-6183196 Email: colm.brophy@oireachtas.ie CBrophy_A New Direction in Education_EDIT_Sept18_rev3.indd 4

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