Vol. 467 No. 1
248 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Education the Dublin schools being selected for the special pupil/teacher ratio of 15/1; and whether a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11 will be included in view of its status and pupil/parent profile. [12869/96]
The special pupil-teacher ratio, to which the Deputy refers, is one of a series of special supports which are being made available, under an important new initiative, aimed at breaking the cycle of educational disadvantage. The initiative will have an urban and a rural focus. As part of this initiative, a pupil teacher ratio of 15:1 is being made available to the junior classes of 25 selected schools in designated areas of disadvantage in the Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford areas.
The Education Research Centre has already been in touch with all schools from the areas in question which have disadvantaged status inviting them to apply for consideration for support under the scheme. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school to which he refers is among those invited to apply for support.
The Education Research Centre will prioritise all applications in terms of level of need as represented by the data submitted by the schools and will advise my Department of the outcome.
