Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 March 2021
534. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education if she will consider a reduction of one in all class levels in Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, DEIS, band one schools and not just for senior classes, given that they have not received a reduction in several years unlike mainstream primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13183/21]
View answerOn 1st March 2021, I announced a package of measures to tackle educational disadvantage. This announcement includes a one point reduction in class size from 22:1 to 21:1 in Urban Band 1 vertical schools and 20:1 to 19:1 in Urban Band 1 junior schools. This is in addition to previously announced one-point reduction for Senior Urban Band 1 schools from 24:1 to 23:1. It is estimated that the reduction of class size in Urban Band 1 schools will require an additional 50 teaching posts and have a full year cost in the region of €2.45 million.
Having considered options on how best to support those learners with the highest levels of need, I have also decided to allocate a 5% increase in the budget of the School Completion Programme and approve the extension of the School Completion programme to 28 Urban Band 1 and post-primary schools newly included in DEIS in 2017. I have also reduced the enrolment threshold for the allocation of an additional deputy principal in DEIS post-primary schools, from 700 to 600 students.
DEIS remains this Department's main policy to tackle educational disadvantage. My Department will spend over €150 million on the programme this year.
