Vol. 486 No. 6
320 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will reduce the present threshold of 20 for the applied leaving certificate so that schools with small numbers can avail of this option; if the scale of investment necessitates a larger number; and if he will establish a scheme that would promote networks of schools combining to provide the required number of students and pooling facilities. [3238/98]
The leaving certificate applied has been introduced on a phased basis since September 1995. There are approximately 5,600 leaving certificate applied places being provided in over 160 schools/centres at present. There will be a further expansion of the number of places and centres offering the programme in the next school year. Each second level school has been invited to apply to participate for the coming school year.
The leaving certificate applied is a distinct, self-contained two year programme. By its nature and structure it demands significant resources. For this reason staffing is allocated on the basis of 1.25 teachers per group of 20 leaving certificate applied students. In addition an additional per capita grant of £125 is provided for each leaving certificate applied student. A special capital grant for equipment is also available. Class sizes of 20 are considered necessary so that a reasonable variety of options within the vocational specialism area can be provided by the school.
A promotional campaign to inform parents, employers, teachers and the further education sector about the leaving certificate applied is currently being conducted to enhance general understanding of the value and relevance of the programme.
