asked the Minister for Education if she is prepared to support the implementation of the proposals for an alternative school at primary level at Rutland Street School, Dublin; and when the proposals submitted by the board of management will be acted upon.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin School Proposals.
27.
Elements of the proposals referred to in the question can be implemented within the existing framework in the schools in Rutland Street. Schools are free to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of the pupils in the area.
Very detailed proposals were submitted to the Minister in this regard and in response to a question tabled by me previously, she has indicated her awareness of the special needs of schools in the inner city and in disadvantaged areas. Apart from the elements that can be implemented without sanction from the Department, I assume the board of management of the school in question are interested specifically in those elements for which the sanction of the Department is required. The Minister may be aware that the relevant request has been the subject of numerous meetings with her predecessor and with departmental officials but so far the management have received no reply, let alone the detailed response that would be required. Is the Minister in a position to ensure that the school management are made aware of the response of the Department to the various specific proposals outlined in their submission?
Very many of these proposals were submitted to the Department in 1981 and were assessed by the primary schools inspectorate. It is the view of the inspectorate that many of the ideas can be implemented within the existing framework and the staff in the schools are totally free to adopt the new curriculum as they see fit. In 1982 an inspector was re-assigned to deal exclusively with inner city primary schools. In addition, the Department's psychological services were made available to these schools and these people are available to discuss the proposals and their possible implementation with the schools concerned. As the Deputy is aware, there is a significant level of extra educational provision in the Rutland Street area. For instance, there is a pre-school and also the youth encounter project as well as the ordinary schools, all of which have a more favourable pupil-teacher ratio than normal.
With respect, the Minister has not replied to my question. Is she prepared to support the implementation of these specific proposals that have been put to her Department in respect of the Rutland Street school? I should like to have a direct answer to that question. I should like to hear also whether the Minister is prepared in the immediate future to respond to those proposals in a positive way?
I am extremely interested in the proposals and I have no desire to evade the Deputy's question. However, there are various other elements involved in the implementation of such proposals, including the question of the teachers concerned and their union. To that extent, the Department, in the context of discussions with the INTO, have set up a group to review and to discuss the proposals as well as other proposals relating to inner city schools. I am glad to be able to tell the Deputy that that committee are holding their first meeting on Friday and, as I have told him already, I will be meeting very shortly with interested bodies in this area. I should not like to pre-empt that by giving any further detail.
We must move on to Question No. 28.
By way of final supplementary, is the Minister prepared to meet the board of management of this school in order to clarify her response to the proposals that have been put to the Department?
I assure the Deputy that I am arranging a list of meetings with everyone concerned with these proposals.