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Disadvantaged Status

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 May 2012

Thursday, 24 May 2012

Ceisteanna (78)

Stephen S. Donnelly

Ceist:

75 Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills with regard to the rural DEIS schools in County Wicklow, his policy in relation to staffing and support services for rural DEIS schools; if he will clarify the position regarding rural DEIS schools in County Wicklow, among which there is concern about staff being lost due to cuts; when there are discrepancies between cuts and staff to pupil ratios between schools; if he will further explain the rationale for such discrepancies between cuts and staff to pupil ratios between schools, if he will explain the rationale for such discrepancies; and if he will provide the specified data in tabular form. [25977/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion remains my Department's policy instrument to address educational disadvantage. DEIS focuses on addressing and prioritising the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities, from pre-school through second-level education (3 to 18 years).

A total of 864 schools providing education for 164,000 children are included in DEIS, of which 327 are categorised as DEIS Rural schools with access to the following supports:

additional non-pay/capitation allocation based on level of disadvantage; additional funding under School Books Grant Scheme; access to Schools Meals Programme; access to transfer programmes/Homework support/after school activities; access to planning supports; access to a range of professional development supports.

The staffing arrangements for the 2012/13 school year are set out in Primary Circular 0007/2012 which is available on my Department's website. A range of factors contribute to determining the staffing requirement for individual schools including changes to enrolment and the reforms to the teacher allocation process for 2012/13. As the teaching allocation to schools is enrolment based, this determines whether schools gain or lose teaching posts from year to year.

DEIS Rural Primary schools have not been considered for preferential pupil teacher ratios under DEIS, although a number of these schools retained concessionary posts under previous disadvantage schemes prior to DEIS. As a result of Budget 2012, three of the four schools to which the Deputy refers are among 16 out of the total of 327 Rural DEIS schools who will lose 1 teaching post each.

These posts were retained in these schools in addition to classroom teacher posts and other supports that are allocated to all DEIS schools. The retention of these posts in some DEIS schools created a degree of inequity in the system and that is one of the reasons they were considered for withdrawal. DEIS Rural Primary schools, including those in the area referred to by the Deputy, were not within the scope of the Report on the net impact of Budget 2012 on DEIS urban schools. Accordingly, the decision I have made in relation to these schools is final and will not be revisited. The allocation process also includes an appeals mechanism under which schools can appeal against the allocation due to them under the staffing schedules. The appeal procedures are set out in the circular referred to above.

I can confirm that two of the four schools to which the Deputy refers submitted an appeal but their appeals were not successful. Schools were notified directly by the Staffing Appeals Board. The decision of the Appeals Board which operates independently of my Department is final. The information sought in tabular form will be sent directly to the Deputy.

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