Gay Mitchell
Ceist:1291 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the contents of a letter (details supplied). [2272/02]
Written Answers. - Early Childhood Education.
The early start pre-school pilot project is in place in 40 selected schools in designated areas of disadvantage. It is aimed at children who are considered to be most at risk of not reaching their potential and are aged between three and four years.
The Deputy may be aware of the White Paper on early childhood education, "Ready to Learn", which sets out a comprehensive strategy for the development of early childhood education for all children aged from birth to six years. The question of developing and funding initiatives for particular pre-school sectors or the extension of the early start project to additional schools will be considered by the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education which I recently established.
Until recently, the principal mechanism for addressing the effects of socio-economic deprivation in primary schools was the disadvantaged areas scheme which provides special teaching assistance and extra funding to schools in designated areas of disadvantage. The school referred to by the Deputy is participating in the disadvantaged areas scheme. Under this scheme, the school is benefiting from the services of two disadvantaged concessionary teachers and a shared home-school-community liaison teacher. The school also qualifies for special supplementary capitation funding at the rate of £30 per pupil and a refund of the television licence fee.
The Deputy will already be aware that in January 2001 I launched a major new programme, Giving Children An Even Break', to deal with educational disadvantage in primary schools. The new programme runs over a three-year period and will cost some 33 million with the allocation of over 200 teaching posts.
Schools participating in the programme are eligible to receive a range of additional supports including teacher posts and financial supports to be targeted at disadvantaged pupils. The additional supports to be provided reflect the level of concentration of pupils from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds in each school invited to participate in the programme. Schools already in receipt of additional resources under the disadvantaged areas scheme, including the school referred to, retain their entitlements under that scheme, and receive extra funding.
There are separate urban and rural dimensions to the new programme. The school in question has been included in the urban dimension and is eligible to receive 3,912.06 in respect of the current school year, towards providing additional educational supports for the children concerned. This funding is in addition to the 10,780.08 for the current school year that the school received under the disadvantaged areas scheme.
Schools categorised as urban with the highest concentrations of at risk pupils are being supported, where necessary, over the three-year period through staff allocations to implement a pupil teacher ratio of 20:1 in the junior classes, infants through second class, and a pupil teacher ratio of 29:1 in senior classes, third through sixth classes. In line with normal staffing arrangements for national schools, teacher post allocations for the purpose of the new disadvantage programme in respect of the current school year have been determined by reference to enrolments in junior and senior classes at 30 September 2000. On the basis of this approach, the school in question does not require the allocation of new disadvantage programme posts for the current school year.
Where schools expressed concern about the outcome of the survey in respect of their school, they were advised to make representations to my Department outlining their circumstances. Schools were informed that these representations would then be referred to the Educational Research Centre for consideration and my Department would then consider the position of these schools.
In accordance with the approach outlined, representations from the school in question were forwarded to the Educational Research Centre. My Department has now received a report from the Educational Research Centre and the situation of this school and other such schools is currently under consideration. The school in question will be informed of the outcome in the near future.