In line with normal staffing arrangements for national schools, teacher post allocations for the purpose of the Giving Children an Even Break scheme are determined by reference to enrolments in junior and senior classes on the previous 30 September. The Department excludes children where an additional teaching resource has already been provided. This occurs in the case of pupils with special needs taught by a recognised special class teacher and pupils receiving tuition by a recognised resource teacher for Travellers. There are 519 resource teachers for Travellers at primary level.
My Department is committed to developing a five year Traveller education strategy, including an evaluation of existing provision. The scope and terms of reference for the strategy exercise have been finalised and the joint working group drawn from both the advisory committee on traveller education, ACTE, and the educational disadvantage committee, EDC, which has recently been established, is working on developing the strategy.