Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 31 Jan 2002

Vol. 547 No. 2

Written Answers. - School Staffing.

Tony Gregory

Question:

174 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will consider an appeal for additional teaching staff from St. Joseph's national school, East Wall, Dublin 3 under the tackling disadvantage scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3056/02]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

The Deputy refers to the new programme, Giving Children An Even Break, which I launched in January 2001 to deal with educational disadvantage in primary schools. 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 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.

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. Under the disadvantaged areas scheme, the school is benefiting from the services of a disadvantaged concessionary teacher and a shared home-school-community liaison teacher. The school also qualifies for special supplementary capitation funding at the rate of €38.09 per pupil and a refund of the television licence fee.

The school referred to by the Deputy is included in the urban dimension of the new programme. The school is eligible to receive €2,200 in respect of the current school year, towards providing additional educational supports for the children concerned. This funding is in addition to the €8,304 that the school received under the disadvantaged areas scheme for 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. My Department has now received a report from the Educational Research Centre and the situation of those schools that made representations is currently under consideration.

There is no record of representations having been received from the school until recently and accordingly, the position of the school was not considered. However, the circumstances of the school may fall to be considered again in the context of any future modifications to the programme.