Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Oct 1994

Vol. 446 No. 3

Written Answers. - Home-School Liaison Teachers.

Dermot Ahern

Question:

314 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Minister for Education the number of home and school liaison teachers allocated by her Department in the education year 1993/1994; the number she intends to allocate in the year 1994/1995 in view of the criteria under which these are allocated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2220/94]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

A total of 15 home/school liaison co-ordinators were newly appointed to the home school community liaison scheme at primary level for the 1993-1994 school year. A further 15 co-ordinators have recently been appointed to the primary school sector for the 1994-1995 school year.

As a result of these appointments, a total of 75 home school liaison co-ordinators are now in place and serve a total of 134 primary schools embracing 41,000 pupils.

In each post-primary school participating in the home school community liaison scheme, a teacher acts as home school community liaison co-ordinator. To facilitate this additional teaching hours are allocated to each participating school.

An additional ten post-primary schools came into the scheme in the 1993-94 school year and an additional fifteen schools were included in 1994-95. As a result, a total of fifty home school community liaison co-ordinators are currently in place at second level and serve a total of fifty post-primary schools embracing 29,000 pupils.

The home school liaison scheme is targeted on schools in disadvantaged areas. Schools are selected for inclusion in the scheme on the basis of priority of need as assessed by my Department's Inspectorate.

The objective of the scheme is to address the problems of under-achievement and poor participation in the education system, by encouraging parents to become more interested and involved in their children's education and by encouraging closer links between parents and their local schools.