Vol. 544 No. 3
492 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Education and Science the situation regarding the use of the stay safe programme in schools; the number of schools which have availed of this programme to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28880/01]
The implementation of the stay safe programme involves inservice training for the school staff, parent education and personal safety skills education for primary school children. Since its introduction in 1991 almost all schools, 98.6%, have participated in inservice training and 87% have facilitated parent education regarding child protection issues. Results of a survey carried out in 1999/2000 show that 74% of schools are teaching the stay safe programme. It is anticipated that the children first guidelines which are being introduced in the current school year will result in an increase in the number of schools teaching the stay safe programme.
