Vol. 541 No. 2
997 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Science if urgent consideration will be given to an application for a home school liaison teacher, resource on learning support accommodation and the provision of a lower pupil teacher ratio for a school (details supplied) in County Laois; and if the matter could be dealt with without delay. [21067/01]
The home-school-community liaison scheme was last expanded in September 1999. This expansion included any remaining schools designated as disadvantaged that did not have a home-school-community liaison service. There are no immediate plans to expand the home-school-community liaison scheme. However, in the event of any future expansion of the home-school-community liaison scheme, the needs of the school in question will be fully considered.
My Department has received an application for grant-aid towards the cost of a building project at the school in question. In view of the large volume of projects currently being dealt with, it is not possible to say when this matter can be progressed further.
The Deputy may be aware that last January I launched a major new programme, Giving Children An Even Break, to deal with educational disadvantage in primary schools. The new programme will be run over a three-year period and will cost some £26 million. The programme involves the creation of 204 new primary teaching posts and the allocation of cash grants to primary schools in respect of disadvantaged pupils. The schools targeted under the programme were identified through a comprehensive and objective survey of all primary schools carried out in March-April 2000 by the Educational Research Centre, Drumcondra, on my Department's behalf. There are separate urban and rural dimensions to the new programme. Schools categorised as urban with the highest concentrations of at risk pupils will be supported, where necessary, over the three year period through staff allocations to implement a pupil teacher ratio of 20:1 in the junior classes, infants through second class, and a pupil teacher ratio of 29:1 in senior classes, third through sixth classes.
The school in question has been included in the urban dimension and has received supplementary grant aid of £6,454 in respect of the 2000-2001 school year towards providing additional educational supports for the pupils concerned. The school will be allocated a similar sum in the current school year. The school was not considered eligible for additional teaching staff, based on the level of concentration of at risk pupils in the schools as reflected in the Educational Research Centre survey outcome.
Where schools expressed concern about the outcome of the survey in respect of their school, they were advised to make representations to my Department outlining their circumstances. Schools were informed that these representations would then be referred to the Educational Research Centre for consideration and my Department would then consider the position of these schools.
In accordance with the approach outlined, representations from the school in question were forwarded to the Educational Research Centre. My Department has now received a report from the Educational Research Centre and the situation of this school and other such schools is currently under consideration. The school in question will be informed of the outcome in the near future
