Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 72: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of language support teachers available to schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5577/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Ensuring that all children get the support they need to do well at school is a major priority for the Government. To ensure children with low levels of competence can succeed at school, my Department gives additional support to their schools which can take the form of financial assistance, additional temporary teacher posts or portions of teacher posts. Guidelines have also been produced for teachers on teaching English as an additional language, and these are available on the NCCA website.

The level of extra financial or teaching support provided for any school is determined by the numbers of non-English speaking students enrolled. Each school management can decide on the structure of the support to be provided in its own school. An allocation of two years' language support for each pupil is provided by my Department. Schools with 14 or more qualifying pupils get an additional full-time temporary teacher. Those with 28 or more get two teachers. Primary schools with between three and 13, inclusive, qualifying pupils enrolled will receive grant assistance for a period of up to two years. Schools with between three and eight qualifying pupils receive grant assistance of €6,348.69 while schools with between nine and 13 pupils receive grant assistance of €9,523.04. In the current school year grant assistance will be provided to approximately 425 primary schools with 13 or fewer qualifying pupils. In the case of post-primary schools which have 13 or fewer qualifying pupils enrolled, additional teaching hours, ranging from three hours per week in respect of one such pupil to 19.5 hours per week in respect of 13 pupils, are sanctioned.

Recent years have seen a significant rise in the number of language support posts being provided by my Department. In the current school year, 541 whole-time equivalent language support teachers are in place at primary level and 262 whole-time equivalent teachers are in place at second level to support such pupils, representing a language support investment of €46.5 million. This compares to 149 and 113 teachers respectively in the school year 2001-02. Thus, there has been a four-fold increase in language support teachers at primary level in just four years.

The Government has been increasing resources in this area in line with rising demand. However, this is a relatively new area which must be kept under review to ensure that children are getting the support they need and that this support is proving effective in helping them to make the most of their time at school. I am conscious of the pressures on those schools that have a great number of children whose first language is not English and whose cultures and expectations of education can be very different from our own. While this year there are more than 800 language support teachers in our schools, I know this is only part of the equation. Schools with significant numbers of non-national children need extra supports to help them to engage with these children's parents and I am working on proposals on this.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the fact that the Minister is working on proposals on this. My colleague, Senator Hayes, has numerous times raised the example of a school in Tallaght which has 200 students from an international background. Because the number of such students has increased dramatically in recent years we are on a learning curve in terms of dealing with issue. Although that school has two teachers under the system the Minister mentioned and a third teacher was sanctioned by the Minister because of the special circumstances, this amounts to just three teachers to deal with 200 international students. I am not sure how many different languages are spoken but it is a significant number and entails serious pressures. When can we expect details on the extra teachers and will the numbers change so that once one exceeds the magic number of 28 there will be a greater increase to help schools deal with demand?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Every time I mention 800 language support teachers I take a breath because it has been an extraordinary development over the past few years. It is a relatively new area and must be kept under review. Last year I met a number of principals who were affected by large numbers in their schools. In addition to the issue of teaching English, they identified cultural, family and societal supports that are as important as what happens in the school. This applies particularly to children whose parents do not speak English, who have different cultural attitudes to their children and their behaviour and to schools. It has been identified to me that there is a gap in the information those parents have on how our system works. We will shortly give further information on that.

A committee of my Department has been working on this matter. It visited a number of the schools and met groups, including the INTO, JMB and ASTI, and people who are in direct provision in Mosney and Cork to try to identify their needs. It is becoming clear that teachers of English alone will not solve all the problems. Other issues that have come to light include the home-school-community liaison teacher, who might be able to make better links and the need to explore with other Departments supports that can be put in place for the parents, perhaps teaching them English.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I accept that point and from the point of view of the international students that is important, but when a number of different languages are spoken in the classroom the teacher's response and the time he or she can spend with all the students is diminished because of concentrating on teaching English. Will the Minister commit to examining the numbers in terms of the ratio of 14 and 28 that she discussed? From her answer I gathered that she was just looking at the cultural aspects. Is it both?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Of course we are looking at both, however the cultural aspect should not be underestimated when dealing with these children. That message came very strongly from the principals and schools I visited. We should not think that the 800 language support teachers in our schools and the grant money to the 425 other schools alone will solve the issue. They will not but I am also looking at the issue from the strict classroom perspective.