Vol. 443 No. 4
37 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that students attending post-leaving certificate courses in community schools and colleges are unable to avail of grant-aid in spite of the fact that students attending similar courses in Northern Ireland and Britain receive funding from the EU; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
39 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that students attending post-leaving certificate courses in community schools and colleges are unable to avail of grant-aid in spite of the fact that students attending similar courses in Northern Ireland and Britain receive funding from the EU; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 39 together.
At present, over 17,000 students attend PLC courses as part of my Department's vocational preparation and training programme. These courses are delivered in second level schools and colleges and have been developed as part of the second-level education system, with substantial support from the European Structural Funds.
The third level student support schemes do not apply to PLC courses. The Deputies should be aware that a means tested grants scheme to cover both fees and maintenance for PLC courses would cost of the order of £10 million per annum.
I am sure Deputies will appreciate the need to strike a balance between competing demands for resources, both ESF and Exchequer, in the education sector — between funding for the different levels of the system, between initial and second chance education, between student supports, investment in quality assurance, and special measures to combat disadvantage and underachievement.
In the case of PLC courses I consider it more important to concentrate on improving the quality of the system, through investment in national certification and assessment arrangements, in programme development, in in-service training, and in ensuring that courses continue to be available in a wide range of disciplines for as many students as possible.
As part of the National Development Plan, I have secured substantial resources for the development of authoritative, national certification for vocational education and training programmes, including PLC programmes, and for the provision of a major programme of in-service education for teachers at first and second-level, including teachers delivering PLC courses.
