Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 89: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of children for whom neither English nor Irish is their first language in the education system at both primary and post-primary level; the method through which language support resources are allocated to schools; the length of time for which these resources are allocated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5208/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department estimates that there are in the region of 28,000 students in our schools whose first language is not English or Irish. In order to meet their language needs, additional support is given to their schools which can take the form of financial assistance, additional teaching posts or portions of posts.

The level of extra financial or teaching support provided to any school is determined by the numbers of eligible non-English speaking students enrolled. The additional language support to an individual pupil is generally given for a period of two years.

Schools with between three and 13 eligible pupils receive grant assistance towards the cost of employing part-time teachers. Schools with three to eight pupils receive a grant of over €6,300 while schools with between ten and 13 such pupils receive over €9,500. Some €4 million is being provided for such grants in 2007.

Schools with 14 or more such pupils are entitled to one or more language support teachers, the number of which has increased dramatically in recent years. There are now approximately 1,250 language support teachers in our schools. More than 400 of these teachers have been allocated in the current school year alone. As I announced last November, 200 extra posts were approved by the Government for 2007, bringing to 1,450 the number of language teachers that will be working in our schools this year. This compares with just 262 posts in the 2001-02 school year.

In line with the Government's commitments under the Towards 2016 partnership agreement, a further 350 language support teachers will be provided between 2008 and 2009. In allocating additional teachers, I will address, in particular, the position of those schools catering for significant numbers of such children.

As the Deputy will be aware, a comprehensive strategy is currently being finalised which will ensure that the extra investment in this area is being used to the best effect, and that it is underpinned by the right support and training for teachers.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

When will the 200 teachers which the Minister announced in November and re-announced last Friday come on stream? Where will they be located and what level of training do they have? Have they received training in language support teaching or just the general training all teachers receive? The Minister will be aware of Scoil Bhríde in Blanchardstown which has 150 international pupils and three language support teachers and Scoil Mhuire in Lucan which has 70 international pupils and two language support teachers. This situation is replicated in schools not only in Dublin city but throughout the country.

Has the Minister any intention of overhauling the allocation? She spoke about it before but she has not given a clear commitment as to whether she will change the rules she outlined in terms of the allocation of teachers. Does she have any plans to scrap the two-year rule? This is about ensuring children have a proper standard of English. What one child may learn in two years, another child might take longer to learn so the rule in place is extremely unfair to some children. What are the Minister's views on that?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

We accept children have different levels of language. That is why a language assessment kit will be sent to every school. It is being devised for us by Integrate Ireland Language and Training Limited to ensure teachers will be able to assess the language capability of the child. I indicated at the conference of the Irish Primary Principals Network that the two-year rule and the two teacher rule will no longer apply. We are fortunate to be in a position to be able to do this due to the number of extra teachers who will go into the system.

Like the schools the Deputy mentioned, there are schools with a substantial number of children with needs and they must be the priority. Schools with large numbers of such pupils have already broken the two teacher rule, as it were, and have three teachers. That shows our bona fides in that regard.

Along with a revised allocation system, language assessment kits will be sent to schools as well as information packs for schools and parents. The important element is training for teachers. In the primary school, each teacher is fully qualified to teach and, obviously, has the skills and methodologies which go with that. Most of these children are in primary schools and it is important teachers have the methodology to teach not only English but basic literacy. It is also our intention to ensure further training for teachers, particularly in the use of the language kits.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I have the utmost faith in the teachers but they are qualified to teach English speaking students. A different degree of training is needed to teach students whose first language is not English. I am concerned when I hear the word "kit". It is very much the "one size fits all" approach. When will those kits be available and what will they contain? Will teachers in schools be trained to use these kits and carry out assessments? The Minister mentioned the word "priority" in regard to schools such as that in Blanchardstown. There was a lovely new phrase in the national development plan, namely, "accelerated priority". We now have a scale of priority. When will schools such as that in Blanchardstown see a real difference? Will those 200 teachers be in the schools next week, next month or next term?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The teachers will be allocated this year under a new allocation process recognising the number of students in those schools. An assessment kit — one can call it what one likes — is a method of assessment and a way in which teachers will be able to ascertain the language competency of a child. That is being devised in conjunction with Integrate Ireland Language and Training Limited. That group has also provided the teacher training about which the Deputy spoke. It has held seminars for language support teachers — part-time and whole-time — has provided classroom materials and has included the European language portfolio which provides grants for teachers for language tuition for refugees etc. Integrate Ireland Language and Training Limited is the expert in this area. That is why we called it in and are working with it to provide the training and the assessment kits. The allocations will be based on that.