Vol. 477 No. 2
161 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for Education when her primary school section will approve the application for a second remedial teacher at Scoil Thomais, Laurel Lodge, Dublin 15, which currently has 925 pupils on its roll, probably making it the largest primary school in the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8723/97]
175 Mr. Flood asked the Minister for Education if she will accede to the urgent request from Scoil Chaitlin Maude, Cnoc Mhuire, Tamhlacht, Baile Atha Cliath 24, for the appointment of a remedial teacher; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that from the results of a Micra T reading test, it is clear that out of 205 children on the school roll, 21.8 per cent are in need of remedial teaching; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8949/97]
178 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Education if she will sanction the appointment of a remedial teacher for Clocha Rince national school, Johnstown Bridge national school, Cadamstown national school and Broadford national school in the Balyna parish of Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8952/97]
191 Mr. Davern asked the Minister for Education the plans, if any, she has to provide access to a remedial teacher for the pupils of Cullen national school, County Tipperary; and if she will give a date for such access. [9071/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 161, 175, 178 and 191 together.
I am aware of the cases made by the schools in question for a remedial teacher service.
I am not in a position at present to allocate additional remedial teachers to primary schools.
Remedial teacher posts are allocated to schools on the basis of priority of need as determined by my Department following the collection and analysis of data from schools by my Department's inspectorate. The allocation of such posts is also subject to resource availability in any given year.
Since my appointment as Minister for Education, I have allocated an additional 241 remedial teachers to the primary sector. A total of 1,188 remedial teachers are now in place and the percentage of pupils who have access to a remedial service has increased from 77 per cent to 87 per cent.
However, as Minister for Education, I have to consider how best to deploy available resources across a wider range of special needs. I have to determine priorities and try to allocate resources to best effect.
In the current year, I have adopted a particular focus on children who suffer from educational disadvantage and have sought to target resources into this area in an effort to break the cycle of disadvantage. As part of this approach, I recently launched a major new initiative aimed at bringing special targeted assistance to children in selected urban and rural areas who suffer serious educational disadvantage.
I am satisfied that since my appointment as Minister for Education I have achieved substantial advances across the entire spectrum of special needs, including the remedial area. It is my intention to continue this process.
When I am next in a position to extend the remediation service, the needs of the schools in question will receive every consideration.
162 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education if one-to-one teaching will be provided for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the fact that she has spent the past seven years in school without learning the basics in educational skills; and if officials from her Department will meet with the parents of the child to discuss a solution to this problem. [8774/97]
I understand that the person in question was assessed as having special educational needs and attended a special school for children with a mild mental handicap. In accordance with normal practice, her attendance at this school ceased when she reached her eighteenth year.
Following her departure from the special school, the person in question attended a training centre operated under the Western Health Board for a further three year period. During her attendance at this centre, she received further tuition in literacy and numeracy.
I understand that, following her departure from the training centre at the end of the three year programme, she secured local employment and is viewed by the centre as having made excellent progress.
At this stage, I would suggest that the needs of the person in question could best be addressed through availing of an adult literacy programme. Application to participate in such a programme can be made to the local vocational education committee.
