Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the training provided in teaching English as a foreign language for primary teachers and teachers specifically assigned to teach children whose first language is not English; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34101/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is committed to ensuring that all children get the necessary support that they need to do well at school. In order to ensure that children whose first language is not English can fully participate at school, my Department is providing extensive training in teaching English as a foreign language for primary teachers specifically assigned to teach children whose first language is not English.

Integrate Ireland Language and Training (IILT), a campus company of Trinity College Dublin, is funded by my Department to provide training and resource materials to assist schools in meeting the needs of pupils for whom English is a second language. A wide range of teaching resources has been developed by IILT which are available on their website at www.iilt.ie or directly from IILT.

In 2005, more language support teachers than ever before attended the IILT bi-annual round of in-service seminars. In the spring term of 2005, an overall total of 408 primary teachers attended seminars and in the autumn term a further 548 primary teachers attended, bringing the total number for the year to 956. This is a significant increase on the number attending for 2004 which was 680.

In March 2006, IILT held in-service seminars in Dublin, Longford, Cork and Limerick. These seminars were attended by teachers from 77 primary schools from around the country. All teachers present were new teachers, who had not previously attended IILT seminars and IILT intends to continue to target newly-appointed teachers for the remainder of this year.

A range of courses focusing on the areas of diversity/interculturalism were also approved for inclusion in my Department's summer course programme. A total of 155 primary teachers attended these courses.

Education Centres are playing an integral role in the task of identifying and designing programmes and courses to meet the distinct needs of teachers in this area. Funding has been provided to Centres under the local course initiatives to design, develop and deliver courses locally. The needs addressed include diversity and interculturalism.

A collaborative project between the Education Centre Network and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, supported by the Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform and the Teacher Education Section of my Department, has been established to provide in-service training for teachers in the implementation of the Intercultural Guidelines for Primary Schools. This project has been well received by teachers who are ensuring that their teaching of the eleven subjects which comprise the primary curriculum reflects the increasingly intercultural nature of the student cohort.

My Department is currently reviewing provision in this whole area with a view to determining the appropriate educational response to the needs of newcomer children, with particular reference to their language needs.