Seán Haughey
Question:233 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will give details of the Breaking the Cycle programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25955/98]
Written Answers - Educational Schemes.
A study of educational disadvantage conducted by the Combat Poverty Agency and the Education Research Centre in 1996 concluded that disadvantaged status should be confined to 16 per cent of the school going population. The study noted that such status had already been granted to 17 per cent of pupils. As an alternative to extending disadvantaged status to further national schools, the study recommended that available resources should be targeted on the most disadvantaged schools already in the scheme.
The Breaking the Cycle pilot project was subsequently introduced to deliver the sort of targeted support recommended by the study. The pilot offers a package of targeted supports to selected schools in urban and rural areas. A total of 33 urban and 123 rural schools are included in the scheme at present. The support packages provided involve the following: Urban Schools: extra staff to allow a PTR of 15:1 in all junior classes; special funding of up to £3,000 for materials/equipment; special funding of up to £4,000 for out of school projects; support from the specially appointed co-ordinator of the urban phase of the scheme. Rural Schools: special funding of £1,000 for materials/equipment; special funding of £1,000 for suitable local initiatives; special capitation funding of £75 per pupil; support from 25 specially appointed co-ordinators. The 123 rural schools are grouped into 25 clusters, with one locally-based co-ordinator serving each.
Total expenditure on Breaking the Cycle in the 1997 school year was in excess of £700,000, exclusive of teacher salaries.
The operation of the programme is being closely monitored over its five year pilot phase.
Seán Haughey
Question:234 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will give details of the Early Start programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25956/98]
The Early Start pre-school pilot programme was introduced in 1994 with the establishment of eight pre-schools centres involving 13 pre-school classes. In September 1995 a further 32 projects involving 43 pre-school classes were established. This brought the total number of pre-school classes to 56. This reduced to 55 in September of this year due to falling enrolment in one school.
Each pre-school class caters for up to 30 children, 15 in the morning and 15 in the afternoon. The 55 classes can cater for up to 1,650 children.
Each pre-school class attracts: special capitation funding of £75 per pupil; a qualified primary teacher and a child care assistant; a start-up grant of £4,500 for materials/equipment; and a grant of £1,500 to foster parental involvement.
Expenditure on Early Start in 1997 was £2,106,542, which included grants to schools, teacher salaries and child care assistant salaries.
Earlier this year I held a national forum for early childhood education. My objective in holding the forum was to allow all groups with an interest in the area of early childhood education to put forward their views as to how best to co-ordinate and support the future development of services in this area.
A report on the outcome of the forum has now been received in my Department and is being considered in the context of the preparation of a White Paper on early childhood education which I will publish next year.