Dick Spring
Question:58 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Education if he will consider appointing resource home/school liaison teachers to post-primary schools which have difficulty coping with significant numbers of disadvantaged pupils.
Written Answers. - Teaching Appointments.
My Department have allocated a total of 120 additional teaching posts to post-primary schools in disadvantaged areas over the past two years. When the posts were being allocated the schools were advised that one of the purposes for which they might be used was the development of home/school liaison.
During the current school year my Department have initiated home/school/community liaison projects in a number of post-primary schools situated in urban areas affected by significant social and economic disadvantge. In the project the schools assign teachers specifically to home/school/community liaison activities. In the current school year some additional teaching resources have been allocated to the participating schools to assist in the start up of the project. The extension of the project to more schools is being considered at present.