Tony Gregory
Question:367 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education and Science if his Department has appointed representatives to the RAPID area implementation teams; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3158/02]
Written Answers. - RAPID Programme.
I am fully supportive of the RAPID programme as there is undoubtedly a strong link between poor educational achievement and socio-economic deprivation.
While my Department, as currently structured, is not in a position at present to provide representation on each of the 25 RAPID area implementation teams, it is working towards the implementation of a programme of structural reform which envisages, among other elements, the capacity to participate in local and regional developments, such as the RAPID initiative. I have, in the meantime, nominated an assistant secretary general from my Department to participate in the work of the RAPID national monitoring committee.
In addition, as a first step towards participation by my Department in local and regional developments, seven senior personnel were nominated in October 2001 to support the work of the 14 local drugs task forces. These task forces are considered by the Government to be the initial priority areas in view of the serious drug problems being experienced by these communities.
The Deputy will also be aware that my Department has an extensive range of programmes in place that provide direct support and assistance to individual schools serving areas of greatest disadvantage. These include the following Giving Children an Even Break, the new programme for pupils in primary schools from disadvantaged backgrounds. This provision now incorporates schools that already have designated disadvantaged status and schools in the urban dimension of Breaking the Cycle. Schools in the latter project have being allocated additional funding under the new programme.
Schools categorised as urban-town with the highest concentrations of at risk pupils will be supported where necessary through the three-year period of the programme by staff allocations to implement a PTR of 20:1 in the junior classes – infants through second class – and a maximum of 29:1 in senior classes – third through sixth classes.
These are two initiatives aimed at increasing the retention of pupils in school, namely the eight to 15 early school leaver initiative – ESLI – and the stay in school retention initiative – SSRI – at second level. A total of 149 post primary schools and 51 primary schools are supported by these initiatives. Proposals for a significant expansion of these initiatives, which will focus on areas with the greatest pupil retention difficulties, are currently under consideration in the Department. The home-school-community liaison scheme promotes parental collaboration with teachers in the children's learning. The fifth element is learning support and resource teachers.