Helen Keogh
Question:430 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Education whether any of the schools in the County of Dublin area of need of Dublin 15 will get additional teachers under the new scheme to reduce the pupil/teacher ratio. [15159/96]
Written Answers. - Appointment of Teachers.
The Deputy is referring to the important new initiative, "Breaking the Cycle", which seeks to break the cycle of educational disadvantage in selected urban and rural areas, which I recently launched in response to reports that I commissioned from the Combat Poverty Agency and the Education Research Centre. 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, Waterford and Galway areas. A substantial programme of other supports is also available to selected urban and rural schools under the initiative.
The Education Research Centre has recently been in touch with all the schools in question, including schools in the Dublin 15 area that are already in the disadvantaged areas scheme, inviting their applications, The centre is currently prioritising 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 shortly. 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.