asked the Minister for Education in relation to his reply to parliamentary question No. 28 of 21 March 1979, the work completed to date on the project, the schools involved and the cost, if any.
Written Answers. - International Year of the Child.
62.
(a) The new curriculum has been introduced into all of the 29 schools for the moderately mentally handicapped and the teachers have undergone an appropriate induction course.
To bring classes down to the maximum size of 12 recommended by the Commission on Mental Handicap, 24 new teaching posts were created at an annual cost of approximately £128,800.
(b) One hundred remedial teaching posts were created in primary schools in the school year 1978-79 at an estimated cost of £536,300 per annum. So far, 93 of the posts have been filled. The school management boards are in the process of filling the remaining seven.
It would not be in accordance with practice to give particulars of the individual schools involved.
(c) Booklet for Parents. The booklet in question was published and issued to all national schools in November-December. Sufficient copies were issued to schools to ensure that one was available for every household.
(d) These materials now exist in draft form and work of editing and so on is in progress. It is hoped to introduce the materials into a cross-section of schools in the coming school year with a view to their evaluation under normal working conditions. The cost in the year just ended was approximately £5,000.
(e) The project in question consisted of the production of tape recordings of children describing current events in their own schools. The recordings were sent to adults from the locality working in the Third World. Initially some 200 schools were encouraged to take part in the project but because of postal difficulties it is unlikely that this number actually took part. The cost to my Department was about £300.
(f) The lecture was given on 13 September 1979 before an audience of 200 people consisting mainly of educationists representing all levels of education.