Better education our record

Literacy & Numeracy - First Improvements since 1980

Investing in Better Schools – Classrooms not Prefabs

21st Century Apprenticeships - New Career Options

A Better Start for Pre-School children

More teachers, More SNAs - Better Opportunities

Delivering a Better State for Pre-School Children

How to get in touch with Kevin:Kevin Humphreys TD, Minister of StateDáil Éireann, Kildare Street, Dublin 2Phone: 01-618 3224Email: kevin.humphreys@oir.ie

khumphreystd @khumphreystdSign up for Kevin's email newsletter at www.kevinhumphreys.ie

Building secured for new primary school inPortobello area on Harcourt Terrace - designcompetition underway - then patron selection.

Work is also underway or completed on many schools not listed here. We are working with parents to secure a new Educate Together national school inthe Dublin 6/6W area. We know the pressure parents are under to find places locally at primary and second level. We support the efforts to set up anEducate Together second level school in the south city area.

Working Locally with:Kevin Humphreys TD01 618 3224kevin.humphreys@oir.ie

New school building approved for St Marys,Belmont Avenue National School – constructionwork underway.

Three new classrooms delivered for Scoil Mhuire(Lakelands) on Gilford Road.

New Shellybanks Educate Together NationalSchool delivered for Dublin 4 - we are working nowto secure a permanent home.

Some of the School Projects underway in Dublin Bay South

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A MeSSAge froM ruAiri Quinn TDWhen I was Minister for Education and Skills I undertook an ambitious programme ofreform and building to deliver a better education system. My successor Minister JanO’Sullivan continues that necessary work and we are making steady progress.

I will be stepping down from Dáil Éireann when the next election is called. In themeantime I continue to work with Minister of State Kevin Humphreys on issues in ourconstituency of Dublin Bay South.

Updates on education and other local issues are available at www.kevinhumphreys.ie.You can continue to contact me on 01 618 3434or ruairi.quinn@oir.ie.

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We are working with the Milltown School Initiativeto secure a new primary school for the Milltownarea.

Haddington Road - New 24 classroom primaryschool planned – tenders being considered bydesign team.

The OPW have gone to tender for a new 16classroom school for Griffith BarracksMultidenominational National School.

Funding secured for a new Sports Centre at theswimming pool for Marian College.

Kevin Humphreys

@KHumphreysTD

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LiTerAcy AnD nuMerAcy

Delivering the first improvements in 30 years

� We published a National Strategy for Literacy and Numeracy and provided

the resources to implement it.

� We will spend €13.8m on it this year, and it is working.

� Maths and reading performance in our primary schools has improved

significantly for the first time since 1980.

� The 2020 targets have already been met and surpassed.

� Investing in education is the best way for us to break the cycle of poverty,

and begin levelling the playing field for all young people.

� We are now examining the level of disadvantage in every school in the

country.

� Once this work is done, we can then target our resources to the schools

with the greatest level of need.

More TeAcherS, More SnAS

Better opportunities � Despite the challenges of recent years, Labo

ur has protected class sizes.

� In the last Budget, Labour secured funding for an additional 1,700

teachers, resource teachers and SNAs.

� There will be an extra 610 Special Needs Assistants from September –

bringing the total to nearly 12,000 - an increase of 11.7% under Labour.

� This will ensure that every child who needs the support of an SNA will

have access to that support.

� We have implemented new circulars to give greater stability to young

teachers early in their careers.

� We have also agreed a new set of measures to help SNAs get full-time

hours, allowing them to build the stable careers they need.

inveSTing in BeTTer SchooLSclassrooms not Prefabs� During the greatest boom our country has ever seen, Fianna Fáil failedto invest in our schools, and by 2009 were spending almost €40meach year renting prefabs instead of building permanent classrooms.� Thanks to Labour’s prefab replacement scheme, the amount spent onrenting prefabs has now been cut in half.� We published a transparent five year school building programme. � From 2012 to 2016, we are spending more than €2bn on majorschool building projects all across the country. During this year alone,70 new schools or major extensions will be constructed across Irelandwith dozens of new classrooms in Dublin Bay South.� In September, a revised 5 year building programme will be publishedfor the years from 2016 to 2020, continuing Labour’s commitment tomajor investment in school buildings.� Details of some of the projects in Dublin Bay South are on Page 4.

21ST cenTury APPrenTiceShiPSnew career options � We are rejuvenating Ireland’s apprenticeship system.� Following a call for new proposals, over 80 were received from

sectors such as ICT, transport and logistics, hospitality andmanufacturing.

� 25 new apprenticeships will now be rolled out in areas like financialservices, telecommunications, IT, catering and medical devices.

� These apprenticeships will provide high-quality professionaltraining and a clear career path for a new generation of jobseekers.

� Nearly 3,000 young people will also begin on the 27 traditionalapprenticeships this year, a 100% increase on 2012.

3 new classrooms were built at St. Matthews N.S, Sandymount

A BeTTer STArT for Pre-SchooL chiLDren

� We have brought a new focus to the stand

ard of education at pre-school level.

� Part of Labour’s pre-school initiative will

see a new team of inspectors dedicated

to enhancing educational standards in th

e sector - this team of inspectors is

being recruited and will begin their work

in September.

� A review of qualifications for those work

ing with our youngest children will also

be finished this year, so that we can make sure that those

working with our

youngest children have top-quality train

ing to prepare them for work

� We are funding the Area Based Childhood

programme to improve education

outcomes for young children in 13 disadvantage

s areas.

ireLAnD iS chAnging So must our education System � Equality of opportunity must begin with equality of access in a fairand transparent way through the proposed School Admissions Bill.� We are delivering new schools under patrons like Educate Together,and with divestment this will ensure greater diversity and pluralism.� Reform of the Junior Cycle has been agreed and will ensure ourchildren are educated for the challenges of the future.� We are taking action to end discrimination against LGBT teachers� We replaced the discredited FAS with SOLAS which will identify theskills workers need and ensure those needs are met.� Our 33 VECs have been reformed into 16 local Education and TrainingBoards.

MAking A Difference The Docklands earlyLearning initiative Through the ABC Programme, wesecured a grant of €1.2 million tofund the Early Learning Initiative.Starting in September about 2,500children aged 0-2, and their familiesin the Docklands and Inner City area, will be involved in projectsworking towards better educational outcomes. Based in the NationalCollege of Ireland, the Early Learning Initiative runs a number ofnumeracy, literacy and outreach projects, including the Parent ChildHome Programme with which has 20 home visitors who do excellentwork in our community with parents and children. These projects aremaking a big difference in Pearse St, City Quay and Ringsend.