Vol. 570 No. 2
286 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the application by a school (details supplied) in County Kildare for disadvantaged status, in view of the fact that the other primary school in the town and the secondary school both are included in the disadvantaged programme as operated by his Department and that Athy has been included in the RAPID programme. [18499/03]
The new disadvantage programme, Giving Children an Even Break, subsumes the previous process of designation of schools that serve areas of educational disadvantage and my Department's approach is now refined to ensure that the individual at risk pupils are targeted. Primary schools participating in Giving Children an Even Break are in receipt of a range of additional supports including teacher posts and other non-teaching 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.
These levels of disadvantage were established as a result of a comprehensive survey of primary schools carried out by the Educational Research Centre, ERC, in March-April 2000 at the request of my Department. A total of 2,351 primary schools identified as having pupils enrolled with characteristics of disadvantage have been invited to participate in Giving Children an Even Break.
Scoil Phádraig Naofa is included in the urban dimension of this programme and is benefiting from the allocation of supplementary grant aid towards providing additional educational supports for the children concerned. Schools categorised as urban in Giving Children an Even Break and having the highest concentrations of at risk pupils are supported, where necessary, through staff allocations to implement reduced pupil-teacher ratios of 20:1 in junior classes – infants through second class – and 27:1 in senior classes – third through sixth class. The school was not considered eligible for additional teaching staff, based on the level of concentration of at risk pupils in the school as reflected in the Educational Research Centre survey outcome.
287 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Education and Science his plans to allow the Dominican College, Muckross Park, Donnybrook, to replace its present building with a new building; his views on whether this non-fee paying school cannot meet the needs of the current curriculum with the present building; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the school also has difficulty in satisfying fire safety requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18500/03]
The 2003 capital programme has been published and full details in relation to individual projects are available on my Department's website at www.education.ie. The building project at Muckross Park College is listed under section 6 of the capital programme and is at an advanced stage of architectural planning – pre-tender stage. The timing as to when this project can progress to tender and construction is dependant on the funding allocation in 2004 and subsequent years.
