Vol. 516 No. 2
5 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the action, if any, he has taken to overcome the weakness of the remedial education programme identified in the Educational Research Centre's study of the programme in primary schools. [7330/00]
The Study of Remedial Education in Irish primary schools identified a number of weaknesses in the delivery of remedial education at primary level and made certain recommendations to bring about improvements. A number of steps have already been taken to address the weaknesses identified.
The summary report of the study has been issued to all schools. Principals were requested to convene a meeting with their remedial teachers, staff and boards of management to discuss the content of the report and the steps they should take at school level to implement the recommendations. The report was also given to the directors of all courses organised for remedial teachers. In this way the findings and recommendations of the report are now part of the training of remedial teachers.
The remedial teaching service has been extended to every primary school in the country. There are now 1,465 full-time remedial teaching posts in primary schools. Action has also been taken on the recommendation to have the Guidelines on Remedial Education revised. The revised guidelines will soon be ready for issue to schools and will ensure that there is clarity about the aims of remedial education and about the population of pupils for whom it is intended. Innovations in best practice have been incorporated in this revision.
Particular attention has been focused in the revised guidelines on the needs of schools in designated areas of educational disadvantage. Recommendations in regard to these schools are highlighted throughout the revision. In addition, the revised guidelines incorporate good practice from particular programmes such as Reading Recovery and Success for All, which have been successful in other countries.
In 1999, £500,000 was allocated to assist school development planning in these schools. This has been increased to £750,000 in the current year. An important focus of this planning is to address the needs of pupils with serious literacy and other learning difficulties.
Additional informationIn December 1998 all primary schools received a grant of £1,000 for the purchase of library books, with schools in designated areas of edu cational disadvantage receiving an additional £2,170 each. Furthermore, in October 1999 a minimum grant of £462 was issued to schools with 60 pupils or fewer for the purchase of library books, while schools with in excess of 60 pupils received a per capita grant of £7.70. These grants, along with the general improvements in the staffing of primary schools, the introduction of the revised curriculum in English, which has a major emphasis on the development of literacy skills, and the training which teachers are now receiving in regard to the revised English curriculum will be of major benefit in raising reading standards.
In addition, teachers will be provided with the Drumcondra English profiles to assist them in developing reading programmes at individual, class and school levels. The profiles will be distributed to schools during the current school year. The use of these profiles should lead to earlier and more objective identification of pupils with special reading needs and ultimately to the prevention of reading problems.
The national reading initiative launched in January is a national effort to tackle the problem of poor reading achievements and to promote reading generally. The initiative acknowledges that the problem of low achievement and underachievement is not just a school-based problem. It stresses the importance of parents encouraging their children, by reading to them to develop their vocabulary and imagination and by listening to them read.
Has the Minister read this report? Does he accept that responding to this is not about school meetings and guidelines? It is about resources. Is the Minister aware that 85% of children who needed remedial intervention in mathematics got none and that 25% of children who needed remedial intervention in reading got none? Is he aware that in disadvantaged schools there was no apparent improvement in the relative position of children after two years of remediation? Will he make a clear commitment to proper reform in this area and proper resourcing? The situation is that disadvantaged schools have almost three times the national average for early school leaving and have almost double the national average for serious literacy problems. The Minister's response to these findings is hopelessly inadequate.
It is not the full response because time does not allow me to give the full response. I may give the full response now to bring the Deputy up to date.
It is better than answering the question.
Apart from anything else, teachers are now being provided with the Drumcondra English profiles to assist them in developing reading programmes for individual class—
Has the Minister read the report?
I did, of course, yes.
Has he seen the problem with mathematics?
Of course. We have a major programme coming up and I will spend considerable funds in this area. We will go further with the provision of teachers – we will have extra teachers. Overall I draw Members' attention to the part of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness which refers to the teaching profession. There are two major commitments outlined under this section involving, first, the creation of 1,500 additional posts and—
How many remedial teachers?
—major concessions on the release from teaching duties in the case of many primary school principal teachers. Deputies should be aware that if the PPF is rejected, these hard won concessions would fall, as would generous pay and taxation benefits. The Government is providing, with the partners, for a huge increase to be spread over different areas, including remedial teaching, but unless the PPF is approved that will not happen.
Did the Minister read the sections in the report that show that remedial teachers get no in-service training and receive poor back-up in computerisation and equipment? How many extra remedial teachers will go to disadvantaged schools as a result of his initiatives? His predecessor allocated no new remedial teachers to disadvantaged schools.
Yes, it is sad to relate that over the years – taking the period the Deputy spent in Government, which is not so long ago—
Our last year was 1996.
This is not a history lesson.
—very little was done in this regard. I have to accept that. I assure Members that action will be taken while I am in Government.
