Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 556: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Waterford will be included in the 1:80 ratio allocation of special education teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25459/04]

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

Under my Department's weighted system of allocation, the appropriate level of special needs teaching support is determined by the schools' enrolment figures and based on the following criteria: in the most disadvantaged schools, as per the urban dimension of Giving Children an Even Break, a teacher of pupils with special educational needs will be allocated for every 80 pupils to cater for the subset of pupils with higher-incidence special needs; in all boys schools, the ratio will be one teacher for every 140 pupils; in mixed schools, or all girls schools with an enrolment of greater than 30% boys, one for every 150 pupils; and in all girls schools, including schools with mixed junior classes but with 30% or less boys overall, one for every 200 pupils.

The school in question does not qualify for a ratio of one teacher for every 80 pupils under the criteria outlined. This school is categorised as an all-girls school and, as such, would attract a pupil teacher ratio of one teacher to 200 pupils.

With regard to the issue of disadvantaged status for schools, my Department is currently finalising a review of educational disadvantage schemes with a view to building on what has been achieved to date, adopting a more systematic, targeted and integrated approach and strengthening the capacity of the system to meet the educational needs of disadvantaged children and young people.