Written Answers. - Educational Projects.
Richard Bruton
Question:
281
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
the number of schools, and pupils therein, included in the Breaking the Cycle programme; the total number of extra teachers deployed in these schools as a result; the additional capitation grant paid; the additional sums for books and materials; and the additional staff deployed in home school liaison and any other additional concessions compared to nondesignated schools.
[12713/98]
Richard Bruton
Question:
283
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
the number of schools, and the number of pupils therein, which have disadvantaged status; the total number of extra teachers deployed in these schools as a result; the additional capitation grant paid; the additional sums for books and materials; and the additional staff deployed in home school liaison and any other additional concessions compared to nondesignated schools.
[12715/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 281 and 283 together.
Details of the number of primary schools, the number of pupils and the number of teachers involved in the Breaking the Cycle pilot project, the disadvantaged areas scheme and the home school-community liaison scheme are set out in the following table.
The Breaking the Cycle pilot project involves a total of 33 urban schools and 123 rural schools. Schools included in the rural dimension of the scheme are grouped into 25 local clusters. Special targeted support packages are made available to schools in the urban and rural dimensions of the scheme, as follows:
Urban Dimension
Grant of up to £3,000 for materials-equipment and grant of up to £4,000 for out of school activities; supplementary capitation funding of £30 per pupil by virtue of their inclusion in the disadvantaged areas scheme; 95 per cent building grant; maximum class size of 15:1 in all junior classes; service of curriculum co-ordinator who oversees the project, and special targeted in-career development for school staff.
Rural Dimension
Grant of £1,000 for materials-equipment and grant of £1,000 for suitable local initiatives aimed at combating disadvantage; supplementary capitation funding of £30 per pupil; 95 per cent building grant; each of the 25 clusters of schools has the services of a cluster co-ordinator, and special targeted in-career development for school staff.
Primary schools included in the disadvantaged areas scheme and the home-school-community liaison scheme receive the following supports: supplementary capitation funding of £30 per pupil, £9 of which relates to expenditure on materials-equipment; 95 per cent building grant; television licence refund; maximum class size of 29 pupils; preferential funding rates under the school books rental schemes, and schools in the home-school-community liaison scheme also have the support of a locally based co-ordinator.
At post-primary level an additionalper capita grant of £30 is paid to schools which are categorised as disadvantaged, and a scheme for the provision of assistance in the supply of schoolbooks to necessitous pupils is administered locally by the principal teachers of the participating schools. The provision for this scheme in 1998 is £4.375 million.
The Finance Act, 1998, provides for tax relief on personal and company donations which can be made direct to a designated school or to an approved body set up to raise funds for designated schools.
Under the Act, a designated school means a primary or post-primary school which is in receipt of enhanced grants made by the Minister for Education and Science based on criteria such as the proportion of students in the school who are socially or economically disadvantaged. In essence, designated schools are those which at primary level, are in one or more of the following schemes — the disadvantaged areas scheme; Breaking the Cycle; Early Start; home-school-community liaison scheme and teaching counsellor scheme, and, at post-primary level, have been allocated a disadvantaged teaching post by the Department of Education and Science or are in the home-school-community liaison scheme.
Information on Schemes 1997-98 School Year
|
Scheme
|
Number of Schools (based on 09/97 enrolments)
|
Number of Pupils
|
Number of Teachers
|
|
Breaking the Cycle
|
156
|
13,863
|
121
|
|
Disadvantaged Areas Scheme
|
318
|
75,508
|
294 Primary
|
|
190
|
96,400
|
209
|
|
Home-School-Community Liaison Scheme
|
176
|
46,970
|
107 Primary
|
|
84
|
46,000
|
83 Post-Primary
|
