asked the Minister for Education the reason a special intervention project to increase the number of girls studying science projects has been extended to schools in Kildare, Longford, Dublin, Wexford, Cork, Mayo, Galway and Kerry but not to any schools in Meath or Westmeath; if she will outline the nature of the project; its cost; its results to date; and her plans for its development.
Written Answers. - Special Intervention Project.
132.
As Deputy John Bruton was informed in a written answer on 14 November 1989, six new intervention projects were initiated in the schools year 1989-90. County Meath was included for one of the projects. The location of each of these projects is as follows: Laois, Presentation Convent, Portarlington; Tipperary, Coláiste Chriost Rí, Cahir; Tipperary, Presentation Convent, Ballingarry; Louth, Our Lady's College, Greenhills, Drogheda; Monaghan, CloChar Lughaidh, Monaghan.
Information on the mechanism of the scheme was also submitted to the Deputy on 14 November 1989. More details of the operation of the scheme are given in the attached annex.
The operational costs of the scheme of intervention projects for the financial year 1988 was £39,500, inclusive of payment of substitution of visiting teachers. The estimated cost for the financial year 1989 is £54,000.
The scheme has been most successful in increasing the numbers of girls studying the physical sciences at leaving certificate level. There are presently in excess of 400 girls studying physics or chemistry in projects schools. It should be noted that these are schools in which the relevant subject — physics or chemistry — was not being provided on the curriculum prior to the intervention by my Department.
An independent evaluation of the scheme was carried out on behalf of the Department in April/May 1988 by Dr. D. Ní Charthaigh, Thomond College, and Dr. C. T. O'Sullivan, UCC. The report of this evaluation was submitted to the Department in October 1988. The evaluators noted, inter alia, that the projects have been very successful in promoting physics and chemistry in girls' schools which have not previously included these subjects on the curriculum. Significant numbers of pupils have elected to study physics and chemistry and the projects have established a firm basis for the future development of the subjects within the project schools.
Plans are being prepared for the establishment of new projects in September 1990. These new project schools will replace those project schools in which the subject will have been firmly established by the end of the current school year.
ANNEX
As regards the Department of Education pilot scheme of intervention projects in physics and chemistry, the Department of Education Science Inspectorate, as part of the National Programme for Equality of Opportunity for Girls in Education, developed a scheme of intervention projects in 1985 with a view to increasing the numbers of girls studying the subjects physics and chemistry in the senior cycle.
The scheme in action in brief is based on the provision of either physics or chemistry in schools which do not have these subjects in the senior cycle. Such schools are termed project schools. The scheme also sets out to provide assistance to other schools in the region of the project school where the subject in question is in need of development — these schools are called associated schools.
I will now deal with the duration of the scheme:
Phase I — Two or three years involving direct class teaching in project school plus support service to associated school in the region.
Phase II — Continuing support service to appropriate schools in the region for a period as deemed necessary.
Following the Department decision to implement the scheme of intervention projects, the inspectors of science examined the provision of the subjects physics and chemistry at senior cycle in Irish schools with particular reference to all-girl schools and co-educational schools. Arising from this survey schools were selected for participation in the project. The following is the procedure for initiating an intervention project.
As regards initiation of intervention project within the scheme, first, a school in need is identified. In selecting schools the importance of having a representative sample is recognised. Factors which must be borne in mind in this regard are the geographic location of the school, the social background of the pupils and the type of school. Second, a suitable visiting teacher is selected. This teacher must be experienced and capable of motivating and enthusing pupils. Third, agreement must be reached with the management of the visiting teacher's own school — this school is known as a base school — to release the visiting teacher for a period each week. It is recognised that this imposes restrictions on time-tabling in the base school and requires considerable co-operation from the management of the school. Fourth, suitable substitute teachers must be found to take the place of the visiting teacher while this teacher is in the project school. This may not always be a simple matter, especially in rural areas. Fifth, suitable arrangements must be made for the provision of an assisting teacher in the project school. This must be done in consultation with the management and staff of the school. The assisting teacher is also known as a take-over teacher since he/she will continue the teaching of the subject at the end of the project.