Vol. 562 No. 1
338 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Science if he has received a request for a meeting from an organisation (details supplied); his plans to have a meeting with this organisation; and when he will be in contact with the organisation on the issue. [5534/03]
I have no record of having received a request for a meeting from the organisation mentioned by the Deputy.
339 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that student teachers are given no financial assistance towards travel, purchase and preparation of material or other cost of living expense during their teaching practise; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that valued other public servants, such as gardaí and nurses, receive such assistance during their training; and if he will consider putting in place a similar scheme to address this inequality. [5547/03]
The position in relation to teaching practice is that it is not a paid activity in any institution but rather is viewed as training rather than employment. It is an integral part of the curriculum of the degree programmes in education and there is no special financial assistance available to students.
I would point out that teacher education programmes provided in approved third level colleges, are approved courses for the purposes of the higher education grants scheme. Under the terms of that scheme, grantholders who are required to participate in off-campus placement as an integral part of their course may have their grant entitlement paid in the normal manner. Where the college requires a grantholder in receipt of the adjacent rate of grant to relocate from his-her residence in order to undertake a placement of not less than one academic term-semester, the non-adjacent rate of grant may be paid for the duration of such placement. Accordingly, student teachers who are eligible for grant assistance continue to receive their entitlements while undertaking teaching practice.
