Billy Timmins
Ceist:361 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Education and Science the percentage of schools that have implemented the Stay Safe programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15182/98]
Written Answers. - Stay Safe Programme.
Billy Timmins
Ceist:362 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Education and Science the percentage of primary school pupils that have taken part in the Stay Safe programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15202/98]
Approximately 80 per cent of primary schools are teaching the Stay Safe programme. Over 85 per cent of schools have arranged parent meetings, and, in light of this, I am confident that the number of schools teaching the programme will increase.
The experience has been that the number of schools which have held parent meetings closely mirrors the number of schools which will eventually teach the programme. However, as I am sure the Deputy will appreciate, there is often a time delay between holding a parent meeting and the actual commencement of the programme.
While parents are at liberty to exempt their children from the Stay Safe programme in participating schools, experience has shown that the vast majority of pupils do attend in schools where the programme is provided. Accordingly, while records of the number of pupils participating in the Stay Safe programme are not available, the figures maintained by my Department on the percentages of schools providing the programme give a relatively good indication of the percentages of pupils participating in the programme.