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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 12 Feb 1998

Vol. 487 No. 2

Written Answers. - Teacher Appointments.

Jim Higgins

Ceist:

96 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will approve a resource teacher for a school in County Mayo which has 17 children of Pakistani and Syrian origin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3543/98]

The role of the resource teacher is to cater for pupils who have been assessed as having a range of learning difficulties and who are attending ordinary schools on a fully integrated basis but require regular periods of sustained teacher input. The resource teacher can be attached to an individual school or a group of schools depending on the level of need in an area.

The allocation of resource teacher posts in any given year is subject to availability. A total of 32 resource teacher posts have been allocated to primary schools since September 1997. These posts were allocated on the basis of priority of need for access to a resource teaching service. There are currently 78 resource teachers in the primary sector.
I am reviewing provision across the special needs area, including the resource teacher area, to ensure all available resources are deployed as effectively as possible. On receipt of an application from the school which the Deputy has in mind, the question of allocating a resource teacher post will be considered having regard to the needs of the pupils concerned.
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