Vol. 519 No. 5
358 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the way in which many physics teachers and chemistry teachers have been offered inservice training this year; and the number that have taken up this offer. [14469/00]
As part of a wide-ranging initiative introduced by my Department in March last year in the areas of physics and chemistry, a comprehensive inservice and support programme for teachers of those leaving certificate subjects is being implemented at present. Work on this programme started in summer 1999 with the appointment of two teams of trainers, seven in physics and six in chemistry, including a national co-ordinator in each subject area, and is due to continue for three years until the end of the 2001-02 school year. The training provision for the current school year, which has now been completed, consisted of a total of two and a half days training for teachers of leaving certificate physics and a similar provision for teachers of leaving certificate chemistry. Further training will be provided in the remaining years with the programme evolving to meet the identified needs of the teachers in these subject areas. This particular in-service training programme is administered by Limerick Education Centre.
The process of identifying teachers of leaving certificate physics and chemistry commenced in autumn 1999 when school principals were asked to complete a questionnaire identifying all teachers of these subjects in their schools. Where no response was received schools were contacted again by means of telephone and fax to elicit this information. All teachers of physics and of chemistry identified by this process were invited to attend training meetings by way of invitations issued to their principals. Inservice training was provided during school time and required the release of teachers from school for this purpose.
