DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and an integrated School Support Programme (SSP). DEIS brings together and builds upon a number of existing interventions in schools with concentrated levels of disadvantage.
The process of identifying schools for participation in DEIS was managed by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) on behalf of my Department and supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and the Inspectorate. There are 876 schools in DEIS. These comprise 673 primary schools (199 Urban Band 1,141 Urban Band 2 and 333 Rural) and 203 second-level schools.
In line with my focus on retaining resources in the most disadvantaged areas, it is important to note that following Budget 2009, all DEIS supports in DEIS schools are not being affected. Those DEIS schools which benefit from reduced class sizes will not be affected by the general increase in the pupil teacher ratio. All DEIS Urban Band 1 schools enjoy a lower Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR). In addition some 53 DEIS Urban Band 2 schools enjoy a lower PTR from pre-existing schemes. These reduced pupil teacher ratios are explicitly protected under DEIS and are not affected by the Budget.
While the funding for the book grant scheme has been reduced, the enhanced capitation paid to DEIS schools will be increased to offset the loss of book grant funding to DEIS schools. This additional funding will be paid to DEIS schools in the coming year and will be calculated in accordance with the mechanism used to calculate the existing disadvantage grants.
For schools other than those that benefit from lower PTR under DEIS, the mechanism used to allocate classroom teachers to primary schools is the staffing schedule and, with effect from September 2009, the enrolment bands will be based on an average of 28 pupils per class rather than the current 27 pupils per class. My Department will be advising individual schools in the normal way in relation to their staffing allocations.
The ceiling of two on the number of language support teachers per school is being re-imposed, with some alleviation for the position of those schools where there is a significant concentration of newcomer pupils as a proportion of the overall pupil enrolment. This will be done on a case by case basis.
In primary schools there will be substitute cover for teachers on uncertified sick leave other than on the first day of absence. In a school where more than one teacher is absent on the first day of uncertified sick leave, substitute cover will be provided for the second and subsequent teachers that are absent. In schools with two teachers or less cover will be provided where any classroom teacher is absent.
The 2009 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. These decisions were made to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In this respect Education while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure could not be totally spared.
Prudent management of the Government finances is particularly important at this time of global economic uncertainty when tax revenue has fallen so significantly and when world economic conditions are so serious. Even with the Budget measures in place there will still be a significantly increased borrowing requirement in 2009.
While I appreciate that the abolition of certain grants will make it a challenging year ahead in terms of the day to day funding of schools, I have prioritised funding for primary schools. The Education Budget for 2009 has provided for improvements to capitation and ancillary grants for primary schools which will increase from €167 million in 2008 to almost €190 million in 2009. The budget improvements involve an increase of more than €21 to bring the rate to €200 per pupil and the ancillary services grant for primary schools will also be improved by €3.50 to €155 per pupil. My Department will be advising individual schools in the normal way in relation to their grant allocations.
We are committed to investing in education but we have to invest at a level that is consistent with what we can afford and what is sustainable at the moment given economic circumstances. Targeting resources at the most disadvantaged schools that are working to counteract educational disadvantage will continue to be a priority for the Government.
