Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 May 2005
255 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Science the assistance her Department will offer to a person (details supplied) in County Louth in relation to remedial spelling at their present school; the further assistance which will be given at the post-primary school of this person’s choice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15542/05]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy currently has the services of a learning support teacher shared with one other school in the area. The professional report indicates that the pupil in question would benefit from learning support provision. In this regard, it is open to the school in question to make provision for this pupil from within existing learning support provision available in the school.
In regard to the future provision at post-primary level, all second-level schools in the free education scheme have an entitlement to an ex-quota allocation in respect of learning support teaching. The allocation to an individual school for a particular school year is determined by its enrolment at the end of the preceding September. Schools with an enrolment of 600 or more are entitled to a full post and those with an enrolment below 600 are entitled to the equivalent of one half of a post for learning support teaching.
256 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the minimum number of non-national children that must be at a school before it obtains additional teaching support, particularly for language skills; the number of schools in which such support is made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15543/05]
View answerPrimary schools which have 14 or more non-national pupils with a significant English language deficit are entitled to an additional temporary teacher for a period of up to two years. Schools with 28 or more such pupils are entitled to two temporary teachers.
Primary schools in which between three and 13 non-English speaking non-national pupils are enrolled are eligible for grant assistance. This grant aid is intended to enable schools to take appropriate measures to improve the standard of English of non-national pupils with significant English language deficits. In the current school year, grant assistance was provided to 355 primary schools with 13 or less non-English speaking, non-national pupils. Post-primary schools which have 14 or more non-English speaking non-nationals enrolled are entitled to an additional full-time temporary teacher. Schools with 28 or more such pupils are entitled to two temporary teachers.
In the case of post-primary schools which have fewer than 14 non-national pupils with significant English language difficulties enrolled, additional hours, ranging from three hours per week in respect of one such pupil to 19.5 hours per week in respect of 13 pupils, are sanctioned.
Approximately 384 post-primary schools have been allocated hours under this scheme in the current school year.
