Gay Mitchell
Ceist:410 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will supply a full-time remedial/learning support teacher for a school (details supplied) in Dublin 12. [5395/01]
Written Answers. - School Staffing.
Ceist:
419 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will consider an application (details supplied) for a full-time learning support teacher in view of the important work that this school is doing. [5454/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 410 and 419 together.
All available learning support teacher posts have been allocated, as part of the process of extending the learning support service to every primary school in the country, with a pupil teacher ratio of 10:1 or above. The school referred to by the Deputies has a learning support teacher which it shares with another school in the area.
I can assure the Deputies that the learning support needs of the school in question will be taken fully into account in the event of additional learning support teacher posts becoming available for distribution. I would also point out that the school in question has been included in the new programme which I recently launched to tackle educational disadvantage at primary level. As a result of its inclusion in this initiative, the school has been allocated three additional teaching posts to facilitate a reduction in its class sizes to a pupil teacher ratio of 20:1. Also as part of this arrangement, the school is being allocated extra funding of £2,930 to support its efforts to address its current problems.
An acting director of programmes, assisted by an experienced support team, has been appointed to oversee the operation of this new initiative. The acting director of programmes and her support team will be working closely with the selected schools, including the school to which the Deputies refer, to assist them in utilising the resources now being made available to develop approaches which are best suited to addressing the needs of their pupils.