Michael Creed
Question:250 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools having their benefit under the new programme for educational disadvantage in primary schools withdrawn. [14216/01]
Written Answers - Educational Disadvantage.
The Deputy is referring to the new programme, "Giving Children an Even Break", to tackle educational disadvantage which was launched by me in January of this year.
The new programme has both an urban and rural dimension. Under the urban dimension, I am committed to supporting selected schools with the highest concentrations of disadvantaged pupils in the maintenance of maximum class sizes of 20:1 in junior classes, infants through second class, and 29:1 in senior classes, third through sixth class, over the three year period. Based on the level of concentration of at risk pupils in a school as identified in the independent survey conducted by the Educational Research Centre last year, schools were considered for additional teaching staff under the urban dimension of the programme. In addition, all participating schools will receive additional funding to be used in the provision of a range of in school and out of schools supports for the pupils concerned over the three year period.
The retention of the additional teacher posts under the new programme is subject to existing enrolment levels being maintained over the three year period of the programme and the implementation of the maximum class sizes within the schools concerned. In line with normal staffing arrangements for national schools, teacher post allocations for the purpose of the programme in respect of the current school year are also determined by reference to enrolments in junior and senior classes at 30 September in the previous school year.
Some schools which were also included in the new programme were due to have teaching posts allocated under that programme withdrawn at the end of the current school year owing to falling enrolments. In view of the special nature of the scheme, I have authorised the retention of existing levels of staffing up until the 2002/2003 school year pending experience of the enrolments in September 2001.