Vol. 529 No. 4
264 Mr. Healy asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will arrange for the inclusion of Scoil Mhuire na nAingeal, Clonmel, County Tipperary in the recently announced primary school initiative scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3145/01]
When I became Minister for Education and Science, I set the tackling of educational disadvantage as a priority. The Deputy will be aware that last month I launched a major new programme to deal with educational disadvantage in primary schools. The new programme will be run over a three year period and will cost some £26 million. The programme involves the creation of 204 new primary teaching posts and the allocation of cash grants to primary schools in respect of disadvantaged pupils.
The schools targeted under the programme were identified through a comprehensive and objective survey of all primary schools carried out in March-April 2000 by the Educational Research Centre, Drumcondra, on my Department's behalf. All primary schools were invited to complete the survey questionnaire and over 75% of primary schools participated and returned completed survey forms to the ERC. The survey provides a valuable basis for directing resources to the areas of greatest need and all schools identified as having enrolled pupils with characteristics of disadvantage have been invited to participate in the programme.
The Educational Research Centre's records indicate that a questionnaire to apply for inclusion in the new programme was not received from the individual school referred to by the Deputy. Naturally, in the absence of a completed survey form relating to the school in question, the ERC was unable to assess the level of concentration of pupils with characteristics that are associated with educational disadvantage in relation to this school.
Where an individual school did not participate in the survey, it may make a submission to my Department outlining its circumstances in relation to educational disadvantage. Such submissions will be referred to the ERC for consideration. The situation of the school will then be further considered.
