Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 13 Oct 1994

Vol. 445 No. 8

Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Schools.

John Bruton

Ceist:

80 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Education the extra provision, if any, that will be made for disadvantaged schools in 1994, in view of the stated commitment in the Programme for Partnership Government, 1993-1997, for the disadvantaged. [1147/94]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 80 and 165 together.

In the current year at primary level, an additional 54 schools have been included in the scheme of assistance for schools in disadvantaged areas. These schools qualify for a supplementary capitation grant of £17 per pupil. The additional cost involved in 1994 is estimated at £208,000.

The home-school-community liaison programme has been extended. The number of primary schools partaking in the scheme has been increased from 106 to 135. An additional 15 co-ordinators have been added to the scheme in 1994 to facilitate this development.

A sum of £320,000 has been made available to facilitate the payment of grants to national schools encountering serious financial difficulties.

The "Early Start" programme of pre-school education has been put in place in selected areas of high disadvantage in September, 1994. Eight areas have been targeted in the initial pilot phase of this programme.

The scheme for the payment of television licences for schools in disadvantaged areas is being continued in the current year.

At post-primary level the provision for special initiatives to improve retention of second level pupils from disadvantaged areas has been increased by £222,000 to £780,000 for 1994. These initiatives include programmes to enhance parental involvement in their children's education; the establishment of linkages between post-primary schools in disadvantaged areas and third level institutions; payment of grants towards the running costs of junior training centres for travellers.

Fifty five additional teaching posts have been allocated to post-primary schools in disadvantaged areas with effect from the beginning of the 1994-95 school year.

Five new visiting teachers will be appointed to encourage traveller children to avail of second level education.

An additional fifteen second level schools have been invited to partake in the home-school-community liaison scheme in the 1994-95 school year. Each of these schools is being allocated an additional 11 teaching hours per week. In addition, a grant of £2.00 per pupil is paid to participating schools subject to a minimum of £1,000 per school.

In addition to the standardper capita grant of £158 schools which have been classified as disadvantaged receive an additional per capita grant of £15.

In 1994 a provision of £391,000 has been made for the allocation of grants to schools as seed capital to set up book rental schemes. Eighty-six schools which have been classified as disadvantaged have been allocated grants on the basis that they committed themselves to setting up such rental schemes for the first time.

The cost of the scheme for the alleviation of the fees for the certificate examinations for necessitous pupils increased from £360,000 to £394,000 in 1994.