Vol. 547 No. 2
169 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of persons employed in, and the annual budget of, the education centres established to support teachers; and the activity levels in different programmes organised by the centres. [3041/02]
There are 20 full-time and ten part-time education centres currently operating. In 2001, there were 66 full-time staff and 37 part-time staff employed in centres in a managerial-administrative or caretaking capacity to service their core operations. In addition to this, centres employed 62 full-time and 23 part-time staff to service national in-service programmes – this includes administrative staff and IT advisers – and 24 part-time administrative and caretaking staff under FÁS schemes.
The provisional budget for education centres for 2002 is €2.87 million. This covers the centres' general operating costs and summer or local course programmes. Centres which host national in-service programmes and other centres that assist in the administration of such programmes receive substantial additional funding to cover the actual costs of the programmes.
The education centres are responsible for organising and running approved local courses and summer courses. Returns received from the 26 of the 30 centres show that: during the period January to June 2001 over 4,500 attended local courses on offer by centres. Figures are not yet available for the second half of the year; it is expected, however, that there would have been at least the same level of attendance; and 3,600 teachers attended summer courses on offer by centres during the summer in 2001.
In addition to the above, there was a high level of attendance on courses run with the involvement of centres under the national in-service programmes and under the National Centre for Technology in Education IT programme.
170 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the total in-service training budget at primary and at secondary level. [3042/02]
The provisional budget for in-service training for primary and post-primary teachers for 2002 is over €24.6 million. This includes an amount of over €8 million for in-service training associated with the introduction of new curricula.
As part of my ongoing policy of integrating ICTs into education, my Department provided €2.4 million in 2001 for training for primary and post-primary teachers in this area. A detailed training needs analysis for ICT training is to be conducted at school level early in the current year. The National Centre for Technology in Education will make a submission to my Department in the light of information arising from this exercise. The budget for in-service training in ICT area will then be decided; this budget will be additional to the amount shown above for 2002.
