Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 139: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to a recent report by the ESRI on the difficulties facing pupils transferring from primary to secondary education, that one way of overcoming these difficulties would be to allow teachers to spend more time on those pupils who require most attention, and that teachers do not have the time to do so due to the high teacher-pupil ratio here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9775/04]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has commissioned a research report on the subject of Moving up — The Experience of First Year Students in Post-Primary Education and that the study in question has been conducted by the Education Policy Research Centre of the ESRI.

I understand that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment is currently finalising its commentary on the report and that the report and the NCCA's commentary will shortly be submitted to my Department. I look forward to receiving the report and I will give careful consideration to any proposals put forward as a result of the study.

While it is undoubtedly the case that some students can encounter difficulties in making the transition from first to second level, it should also be recognised that the pupil-teacher ratio in the second level system has improved significantly in recent years having reduced from 16.0:1 in 1996-97 to 13.48:1 in 2003-04.

The difficulties associated with making the transition from primary to second level education are specifically identified in the guidelines issued by my Department in relation to guidance and counselling services. In this regard, I have recently announced the extension of the guidance enhancement initiative for a further two years and my decision to allocate an additional 30 posts to the guidance service.

The school completion programme also has a crucial role to play in ensuring the successful transition and retention of students in the second level system. The programme is based on an integrated cross-sectoral and cross-community approach to tackling educational disadvantage. It involves primary and post primary schools, parents, communities and relevant statutory and voluntary agencies. Its objective is to provide a range of interventions which support and encourage the retention of young people within the education system.

I am reviewing the overall range of support services aimed at addressing educational disadvantage. My objective is to maximise the effectiveness of these interventions by ensuring that they are properly focused and relevant to the needs of the students they are designed to serve, including the students to whom the Deputy refers.