Pat Carey
Ceist:241 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will examine the application of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11 for a full-time resource teacher; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12993/02]
Written Answers. - School Staffing.
I am aware of the case referred to by the Deputy. On 13 May last, my Department approved 18.5 hours per week resource teaching support for five pupils attending the school in question. Officials from my Department have been in contact with the school recently and I understand that an application for resource teaching support for a further pupil will be submitted to my Department shortly. My Department will be in further contact with the school following receipt of the application.
Pat Carey
Ceist:242 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will examine the application by a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11 for a full-time concessionary post. [12994/02]
The new disadvantage programme, Giving Children An Even Break, was launched last year to deal with educational disadvantage in primary schools. 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. There are separate urban and rural dimensions to the programme. 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 27:1 in senior classes – third through sixth classes.
Schools participating in Giving Children An Even Break 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 in question, will retain their entitlements under that scheme.
Under the disadvantaged areas scheme, the school in question is benefiting from the services of a shared disadvantaged concessionary teacher and a shared home-school-community liaison teacher. The school also qualifies for special supplementary capitation funding at the rate of €38.09 per pupil and a refund of the television licence fee.
The school referred to by the Deputy is also included in the urban dimension of Giving Children An Even Break. The school is eligible to receive €3,230 in respect of the current school year, towards providing additional educational supports for the children concerned. This funding is in addition to the €7,047 that the school received under the disadvantaged areas scheme for the current school year.
In line with normal staffing arrangements for national schools, teacher post allocations for the purpose of Giving Children An Even Break in respect of the 2002-03 school year will be determined by reference to enrolments in junior and senior classes at 30 September 2001. In order to enable the school in question to adhere to the maximum class size guidelines for all junior and senior classes in selected schools under the urban dimension of Giving Children An Even Break, the school's current complement of one Giving Children An Even Break teaching post will remain in place for the 2002-03 school year. For the selected schools to adhere to the maximum class size guidelines under Giving Children An Even Break it may necessitate the formation of classes from mixed standards.
The school referred to by the Deputy has been reminded that my Department allocates adequate staffing to schools to ensure that the maximum class size guidelines are implemented in both the junior and senior classes. If the school in question is unable to operate within the maximum class size guidelines in the 2002-03 school year they may make a submission on the matter to my Department.