Tony Gregory
Question:396 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will include a school (details supplied) in the tackling disadvantage scheme. [30537/01]
Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Status.
Until recently, the primary mechanism for addressing the effects of socio-economic deprivation in primary schools was the disadvantaged areas scheme which provides special teaching assistance and extra funding to schools in designated areas of disadvantage. The school in question is participating in the disadvantaged areas scheme and is benefiting from the services of a disadvantaged concessionary teacher and a shared home school liaison teacher. The school also qualifies for special supplementary capitation funding at the rate of £30 per pupil and a refund of the television licence fee.
I launched the new programme, Giving Children an Even Break earlier this year to deal with educational disadvantage in primary schools. Schools participating in the programme are eligible to receive a range of additional supports including teacher posts and financial supports to be targeted at disadvantaged pupils. The additional supports to be provided reflect the level of concentration of pupils from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds in each school invited to participate in the programme. Schools already in receipt of additional resources under the disadvantaged areas scheme, including the school in question, will retain their entitlements under that scheme.
The schools targeted under the programme were identified through a comprehensive and objective survey of all primary schools carried out in March and April 2000 by the Educational Research Centre, Drumcondra, on my Department's behalf. There are separate urban and rural dimensions to the 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 referred to by the Deputy is included in the urban dimension of the new programme. The school is eligible to receive supplementary grant aid of £1,860 towards providing additional educational supports for the children concerned in respect of the 2000-01 school year. The school will be allocated a similar sum in the current school year. This funding is in addition to the £7,020 that the school received under the disadvantaged areas scheme. 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.