Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 12 Jun 2001

Vol. 537 No. 5

Written Answers. - School Staffing.

Liz McManus

Ceist:

567 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Education and Science the additional posts which will be allocated under the ministerial announcement of December 1999 and under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness to post primary schools; the criteria which will be used to allocate these posts; if he will ensure that priority is given to schools and vocational education committees already operating within their allocation; if he will also ensure that schools being allocated these posts are informed in good time so as to plan the timetable for 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16849/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

In June 1999 the stay in school retention initiative at second level was launched, initially in 58 schools. This marked a significant departure from traditional policy in that funding of up to £40,000 per annum is being granted to targeted schools, on the basis of plans which they were helped to design themselves. The purpose of this initiative is to prevent early school leaving and raise senior cycle completion rates. In May 2000 an additional 59 schools were invited to participate in the initiative.

It is expected that further invitations will issue to schools to participate in the future. The selection of schools for invitation to participate has been based on overall enrolment figures and the number of pupils failing to remain in school up to the completion of the senior cycle. For some time my Department has been involved in detailed analysis of data from individual schools which has allowed a more complete picture of early school leaving to be developed than has been the case in the past. This has allowed resources under the stay in school Initiative to be targeted at schools through which they should reach the greatest possible number of young people at risk.

The current method used to select schools for invitation into the Initiative will be reviewed prior to issuing invitations to any further schools to participate in the initiative. The selection process will continue to target resources to where they benefit locations with the highest concentrations of young people at risk.

In accordance with the provisions of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, 200 teaching posts will be allocated to second level schools in the 2001-02 school year. No decision has been taken on the actual allocation of the additional posts.

I have recently announced that 50 additional guidance posts are to be allocated to schools for use by them in developing innovative ways of enhancing their guidance provision, especially in promoting links between schools and business. Schools will shortly be invited to propose innovative actions they would undertake in order to enhance their guidance provision. Posts will be allocated on the basis of an objective assessment of these proposals.

An expert group is currently reviewing the current procedures for the allocation of teachers at second level. I expect to receive the report of the expert group shortly.

Question No. 568 answered with Question No. 123.