Written answers

Tuesday, 23 May 2006

Department of Education and Science

Disadvantaged Status

9:00 pm

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 483: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the circumstances where, in the case of a junior national school and a senior national school on the same campus, it is possible for one school to be in the giving children an even break scheme and the other school not to be in the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19459/06]

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 485: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason a school in DEIS band two may have much larger classes than another school in band two; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19461/06]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 483 and 485 together.

DEIS is designed to ensure that schools serving the most disadvantaged communities benefit from the maximum level of support available. Over the years, no less than 8 separate schemes for disadvantaged primary schools have been put in place including the Giving Children an Even Break Programme. Some schools were benefiting from just one or two of these and others were benefiting from more. The DEIS initiative is designed to ensure that the most disadvantaged schools benefit from a comprehensive package of supports.

While the whole rationale behind the new programme is to ensure that the most disadvantaged schools benefit from all of the available supports, schools that are benefiting from existing schemes will keep the extra resources — financial and human — that they are getting under these initiatives for the 2006/07 school year. After that they will continue to get support in line with the level of socio-economic disadvantage among their pupils. Existing schemes such as Giving Children an Even Break will be integrated into the School Support Programme on a phased basis over the next five years 2005/2006-2009/2010.

A review process has been put in place for primary and second-level schools that did not qualify for participation in the new SSP and that regard themselves as having a level of disadvantage which is of a scale sufficient to warrant their inclusion in the Programme. The review process will operate under the direction of an independent person, charged with ensuring that all relevant identification processes and procedures were properly followed in the case of schools applying for a review. The closing date for receipt of review applications was Friday 31st March, 2006.

It is intended that the review process will be completed by the end of the current school year.

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 484: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24 was not included in the giving children an even break scheme at the same time when the junior school on the same campus and serving the same community was included; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19460/06]

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 486: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will re-examine the situation of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; the steps she proposes to take to restore resources to this school which is in DEIS band two; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19462/06]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 484 and 486 together.

DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). This standardised system replaces all of the existing arrangements for targeting schools for participation in initiatives to address disadvantage.

DEIS is designed to ensure that schools serving the most disadvantaged communities benefit from the maximum level of support available. Over the years, no less than 8 separate schemes for disadvantaged primary schools have been put in place. Some schools were benefiting from just one or two of these and others were benefiting from more. The DEIS initiative is designed to ensure that the most disadvantaged schools benefit from a comprehensive package of supports.

While the whole rationale behind the new programme is to ensure that the most disadvantaged schools benefit from all of the available supports, schools that are benefiting from existing schemes will keep the extra resources — financial and human — that they are getting under these initiatives for the 2006/07 school year. After that they will continue to get support in line with the level of socio-economic disadvantage among their pupils. Existing schemes such as Giving Children an Even Break will be integrated into the SSP on a phased basis over the next five years 2005/2006-2009/2010.

A review process has been put in place for primary and second-level schools that did not qualify for participation in the new School Support Programme and that regard themselves as having a level of disadvantage which is of a scale sufficient to warrant their inclusion in the Programme. The review process will operate under the direction of an independent person, charged with ensuring that all relevant identification processes and procedures were properly followed in the case of schools applying for a review. The closing date for receipt of review applications was Friday 31st March, 2006. The school referred to by the Deputy has submitted a review application.

It is intended that the review process will be completed by the end of the current school year.

The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued to all primary schools each year.

According to data submitted to my Department by the Board of Management of the school referred to by the Deputy, the enrolment in the school on 30th September 2005 was 140 pupils. In accordance with the staffing schedule (Circular 0023/2006), which has issued to all primary schools and is also available on my Department's website at www.education.ie, the mainstream staffing in the school for the 2006/07 school year will be a Principal and four mainstream class teachers.

It is open to the Board of Management to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeal Board which was established to adjudicate on appeals on mainstream staffing allocations in primary schools. Details of the criteria and application dates for appeal are contained in the staffing schedule circular.

The Appeal Board operates independently of my Department and its decision is final. I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to intervene in the operation of the independent Appeal Board.

The general allocation of learning-support/resource teachers (LS/RTs) caters for pupils with learning support and high-incidence special educational needs. The system was constructed so that LS/RT allocations would be based on pupil numbers, taking into account the differing needs of the most disadvantaged schools and the evidence that boys have greater difficulties than girls in this regard.

My Department recently issued a circular and application form to all schools regarding special educational needs (SEN) arrangements for the 2006/07 school year in relation to the general allocation and certain other matters. No proposal has been received from the school in question regarding the matter and it is open to the school authorities to submit a completed LS/RT 1 form which had been enclosed with the circular outlining their proposal for the retention of staff. Upon receipt of same my officials will be in a position to advise the school of their SEN teaching allocation for the 2006/07 school year.

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