Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 April 2006
261 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will clarify if the allocation of hearing support resources is part of the DEIS initiative; if not, the way in which a school (details supplied), which is in band two of DEIS can expect to retain its existing level of hearing support; if schools in band two can retain all the resources they currently have; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13729/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe allocation of learning support teaching resources does not fall under the DEIS initiative. Delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, the new action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme, SSP. The process of identifying primary and second level schools for participation in the new school support programme has been completed. As a result of the identification process, 840 schools have been invited to participate in the new programme. These comprise 640 primary schools — 320 urban-town schools and 320 rural schools — and 200 second level schools.
Schools that have not qualified for the new school support programme and are receiving additional resources, both human and financial, under pre-existing schemes and programmes for addressing concentrated disadvantage will retain these supports for 2006-07. The efficacy of these supports will be kept under review. The DEIS action plan states that, as well as the provision being made under the new school support programme for schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage, financial support will continue to be provided for other primary schools where the level of disadvantage is more dispersed. This support will be based on the results of the new identification process and the arrangements that will apply in this regard will be notified to schools early in the autumn.
In May 2005, a general allocation of learning support-resource teachers, LS-RTs, to primary schools to cater for children with high incidence special educational needs, SEN, such as dyslexia and those with learning support needs was announced and has been operational since September 2005. LS-RT allocations are based on certain pupil numbers and took into account the differing needs of the most disadvantaged schools and the evidence that boys have greater difficulties than girls do in this regard.
The schools considered as most disadvantaged when the model was introduced were those eligible for additional staffing under the urban dimension of the Giving Children an Even Break scheme. Those schools have a preferential pupil-teacher allocation ratio of 80:1 for their general allocation. That remains the case. Accordingly, the school in question will not have its general allocation of 1.4 teachers altered for the 2006-07 school year. The school will, however, lose 15 hours resource teaching support that it was allowed retain on a transitional basis for the 2005-06 year only and the principal of the school is aware of this. It is intended that a review of the general allocation model will be undertaken within three years of operation.
262 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Education and Science the status of the urban dimension of Giving Children an Even Break, that is, where resources are allocated to a school on the basis of 80:1; the way in which this programme relates to DEIS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13730/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraGiving Children an Even Break, GCEB, was a programme introduced in 2001 to ensure that participating primary schools were provided with a range of additional supports including teacher posts and other non-teaching supports to be targeted at disadvantaged pupils. Under the GCEB scheme, my Department provided support commensurate with the levels of concentration in schools of pupils with characteristics that are associated with educational disadvantage and early school leaving.
Delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, the new action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme, SSP. This standardised system will replace all of the existing arrangements for targeting schools for participation in initiatives to address disadvantage. Schools that have not qualified for the new school support programme and are receiving additional resources, both human and financial, under pre-existing schemes and programmes for addressing concentrated disadvantage will retain these supports for 2006-07. The efficacy of these supports will be kept under review.
The DEIS action plan states that, as well as the provision being made under the new school support programme for schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage, financial support will also continue to be provided for other primary schools where the level of disadvantage is more dispersed. This support will be based on the results of the new identification process and the arrangements that will apply in this regard will be notified to schools early in the autumn.
In May 2005, I announced a general allocation of learning support-resource teachers, LS-RTs, to primary schools to cater for children with high incidence special educational needs, SEN, such as dyslexia and those with learning support needs, which has been operational since September 2005. LS-RT allocations are based on certain pupil numbers and takes into account the differing needs of the most disadvantaged schools and the evidence that boys have greater difficulties than girls do in this regard.
The schools considered as most disadvantaged when the model was introduced were those eligible for additional staffing under the urban dimension of Giving Children an Even Break. Those schools have a preferential pupil-teacher ratio of 80:1 for their general allocation. It is intended that a review of the general allocation model will be undertaken within three years of operation.
