Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 14 Oct 1999

Vol. 509 No. 3

Written Answers. - Drugs Task Force Areas.

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

26 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education and Science the initiatives, if any, he is taking in the designated drugs task force areas to provide additional resources and teachers, particularly at primary school level, in view of the critical role education can play in areas affected by drugs. [19898/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

Schools in the drug task force areas would, for the most part, be eligible for disadvantaged area scheme status.

Primary schools included in that scheme receive the following supports: supplementary capitation funding of £30 per pupil; 95 per cent building grant with a "capped" local contribution; television licence refund; maximum class size of 29 pupils involving a more favourable teacher/ pupil ratio than in other schools; preferential funding rates under the school books rental scheme.

I should mention also the substance misuse education prevention programme for primary schools which was developed by my Department in co-operation with school managements, parents and teachers. The development of the programme, called "Walk Tall", was completed by the end of 1998. The process of dissemination to primary schools generally, commenced early this year. The programme has been introduced in 725 primary schools at this stage. The aim is to have the programme disseminated to all primary schools over a two year period.

There is a national co-ordinator for the dissemination and a team of six teacher trainers. The teaching staff of each school attend a one-day seminar on the implementation of "Walk Tall". There are detailed educational resource materials for each class level in primary schools and these are provided free to schools as their staffs participate in the staff seminars. An ongoing programme of longer training courses for teachers has commenced as well and to date 15 such training programmes have been held. The administrative support for the dissemination process is pro vided through West Dublin Education Centre. The financial resources provided by my Department are £500,000 in 1999 and it is planned to provide a further £500,000 in 2000.

Post-primary schools included in the disadvantaged areas scheme receive the following supports: supplementary capitation funding of £30 per pupil; the allocation of 209 disadvantaged teaching posts to 190 of the schools in the disadvantaged areas.

From the commencement of the current school year, the home/school/community liaison scheme has been extended to all first and second level schools which have disadvantaged area status. In addition, strategies are in place which are designed to tackle educational disadvantage and retention at second level including the eight to 15 initiative – a pilot programme aimed at developing models of good practice relating to retention with a view to their integration, after structured evaluation, into mainstream policy – and also the junior certificate school programme and the leaving certificate applied programme which are programmes designed for students who find the normal certificate courses unsuitable. There are also education measures promoted by agencies outside my Department such as the Combat Poverty Agency area-based partnership companies which have contributed to the retention of young people within the formal education system. These measures are successful but have not represented a complete answer to this complex problem. I intend to introduce in the near future new arrangements which will enable targeted schools to tackle early school leaving.