Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2004
46 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Science the steps being taken to meet the particular needs of non-national pupils who now comprise 5% of pupil numbers at primary level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5252/04]
View answerPrimary schools catering for non-national pupils who have significant English language deficits are entitled to assistance to enable these pupils gain full access to the curriculum. Schools that have 14 to 27 non-English speaking non-national pupils enrolled are entitled to a full-time temporary language support teacher. Schools with 28 or more such pupils are entitled to two full-time temporary language support teachers. In the current school year more than 220 language support teacher posts have been sanctioned at primary level. Where there are between three and 13 non-national pupils enrolled in a primary school, the board of management may apply to the primary administration section of my Department for a grant to enable the school to take measures to improve the standard of English of the pupils concerned. Schools with between three and eight such pupils receive grant assistance of €6,348.69 while schools with between nine and 13 pupils receive grant assistance of €9,523.04. The total amount expended on such grants in the 2002-03 school year exceeded €2.2 million.
