Peter Barry
Question:31 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Education if, having regard to the demands from the INTO concerning the needs of socio-economically disadvantaged children in national schools, she will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Children.
The Programme for a Partnership Government reflects the Government's strong commitment to addressing the needs of socio-economically disadvantaged children in national schools.
The primary mechanism for addressing these needs is the disadvantaged areas scheme which provides special extra teaching assistance and extra funding to schools in designated areas of disadvantage. At present under this scheme, a total of 208 primary schools have the services of 225 additional ex-quota teaching posts. The schools in question also receive supplementary capitation grants at a rate of £17 per pupil.
In addition to the above supports, certain disadvantaged schools are included in the Home-School-Community Liaison Project which seeks to encourage greater parental and local community involvement in children's education at local level. To-date, a total of 45 locally based co-ordinators have been put in place covering 80 schools.
I am satisfied that these measures constitute a valuable mechanism for assisting disadvantaged children at national school level. I have therefore decided to allocate a further 80 ex-quota teaching posts to the disadvantaged areas scheme with effect from September, 1993. I also propose allocating additional posts to the Home-School-Liaison Programme to facilitate an extension of this programme to other disadvantaged areas.
I have also stated that I propose targeting for the disadvantaged some of the extra money available this year to increase the capitation grant. An additional £600,000 will be allocated in this way in the current year. I am conscious also of the needs of pupils who may be disadvantaged in schools which are not designated as being in disadvantaged areas.
It is not easy to make specific provision for the disadvantaged outside of school-based schemes. These pupils can, however, best be helped by improved remedial teaching services, greater home-school links, reduced class sizes, the development of the schools' psychological service and more effective schools generally. Individual pupils are also helped through the grant scheme for free books for needy pupils. The Deputy will be aware that I am committed, under the Programme for Partnership Government, to improvements under these headings.