Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 1660: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if funding has been obtained to enable the Dublin 7 Schools' Cultural Mediation Project to complete its three year pilot phase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29645/08]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Dublin 7 Schools' Cultural Mediation Project was financed under the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform/ Pobal Integration Initiative. It was provided with funding for one year only. Funding has been sought for a further two years.

I regret, however, that resources for this project are not available to me at this time. In the deployment of resources to cater for migrant pupils, I have prioritised support for schools and teachers in relation to the teaching of English as an Additional Language (EAL). In 2008, there were almost 2,000 English-Language Support Teachers in primary and post-primary schools at a cost of some €120m. per annum, compared to 997 in 2006 and 262 in 2001/2.

This autumn the Primary Professional Development Service has brought together a team to provide training and support to the English-Language Support Teachers in primary schools. In addition, a Primary School Assessment Kit was circulated by the Department to all primary schools last June. This kit will enable teachers to carry out initial and on-going assessments of the language proficiency of newcomer children. It is proposed to have an assessment kit for post-primary schools available later in the year.