Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 27 Jun 1996

Vol. 467 No. 6

Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Status for School.

Seán Power

Question:

96 Mr. Power asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the serious difficulties that will be experienced by Scoil Mhicil Naofa, Athy, County Kildare from September 1996; and if she will grant disadvantaged status to this school in order to alleviate the situation. [13910/96]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

The staffing of a national school for a particular year is determined by the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous year.

The enrolment of the school referred to by the Deputy on 30 September 1995 was 544 pupils. This will warrant a staffing of a principal and 17 assistants for the 1996-97 school year. Accordingly, the post of the 18th assistant will be suppressed at the end of the current school year.

I have no plans at present to extend the disadvantaged area scheme to the school in question. However, the Deputy may be aware that I recently launched an important new initiative which seeks to break the cycle of educational disadvantage in selected urban and rural areas. The initiative is in response to reports which I commissioned from the Combat Poverty Agency and the Education Research Centre.

In line with the recommendations in the reports, a targeted programme of supports is being made available to 25 selected schools in designated areas of disadvantage in the Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford urban areas. In addition, 25 clusters of small schools with fewer than five teachers and particularly those in rural areas with high levels of disadvantage, will receive a targeted programme of supports. Schools from all parts of the country with fewer than five teachers are eligible to apply for inclusion in this scheme.

The Education Research Centre has recently been in touch with all the schools in question, inviting their application. The centre will prioritise all applicants in terms of level of need as represented by the data submitted by the schools and will advise my Department of the outcome. Schools selected as a result of this process will be invited to submit five-year development plans. Each such plan will be required to identify current difficulties and put forward specific proposals and targets for addressing the problems of educational disadvantage. Qualification for support will depend on the submission of suitable development plans.