Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 17 Apr 2002

Vol. 552 No. 1

Written Answers. - Educational Disadvantage

John Perry

Question:

667 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason St. Brigid's National School Drumkeerin, County Leitrim was excluded from the rural disadvantage scheme in view of the fact that Drumkeerin is one of the most disadvantaged regions in County Leitrim and other schools were included; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that from September 2000 to June 2001 the school had no qualified teacher for its junior class and a lack of learning supports; the steps which will be put in place to redress this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11187/02]

Gerry Reynolds

Question:

685 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a primary school (details supplied) in County Leitrim is not receiving rural disadvantage status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11276/02]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

I propose to take Question Nos 667 and 685 together.

The Deputies may be aware that I launched the new programme, "Giving Children An Even Break", to deal with educational disadvantage in primary schools last year. This programme replaces the previous process of designation of schools that serve areas of educational disadvantage. "Giving Children An Even Break" will be run over a three-year period and will cost some €33 million with the allocation of over 200 teaching posts.

There are separate urban and rural dimensions to "Giving Children An Even Break". The school in question has been included in the rural dimension and is eligible to receive supplementary grant aid of €952 in respect of the 2001-2002 school year towards providing additional educational supports for the pupils concerned. Rural schools with the highest concentration of pupils with characteristics that are associated with educational disadvantage were clustered into groups of four to five and each cluster is entitled to the services of a teacher-co-ordinator to work with the schools in relation to the needs of the pupils concerned. The school in question was not considered eligible for clustering, based on the level of concentration of at risk pupils in the school as reflected in the Educational Research Centre survey outcome.

The position of this school will fall for consideration again in any future expansion of the programme. The staffing of a national school for a particular year is determined by the enrolment in the school on 30 September of the previous year. This is in accordance with an agreement on staffing entered into between the Government and the education partners.

The enrolment of this school on 30 September 2000 was 75 pupils, which warrants a staffing of a principal and two mainstream class teachers for this school year. It is a matter for the board of management of the school to advertise and conduct interviews for the filling of these posts in accordance with the rules for national schools. The school in question in question has a learning support post shared with other schools in the area. The school also has ten part-time resource teaching hours for special needs pupils.