Written answers

Wednesday, 12 November 2008

Department of Education and Science

School Staffing

10:00 pm

Photo of Lucinda CreightonLucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 263: To ask the Minister for Education and Science, further to Parliamentary Question No. 504 of 4 November 2008, the effect Budget 2009 will have on the number of language support teachers in each of the schools (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40098/08]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The budget measures will mean that the level of language support will be reduced from a maximum of six extra teachers per school to a maximum of two teachers per school, as was the case before 2007. However, the ongoing requirement for current levels of language support teachers in schools should also start to reduce in line with lower levels of immigration and in line with improvements in the levels of proficiency of those pupils for whom this resource has been available.

Nonetheless, schools that require language support will still be entitled to get it. We still envisage having over 1,400 language support teachers in our schools in September 2009 and up to about 500 other teachers in part-time posts. By any standards this is a very significant resource and the challenge will be to ensure that it is used to maximum effect.

As I announced on budget day we will also provide for some alleviation for the position of those schools where there is a significant concentration of newcomer pupils as a proportion of the overall enrolment. This will be done on a case by case basis.

The allocation process for language support teachers is an annual one and existing provision is not rolled over automatically. Schools will be applying afresh in the spring and early summer of 2009 for the 2009/10 school year, based on their assessment of the prospective needs of existing pupils and any new pupils they are enrolling. The position for individual schools will become clear at that stage.

Moreover, OECD research in this field (PISA 2006) shows that Ireland is the OECD country with the highest distribution of newcomers across schools meaning that schools with higher concentrations of newcomer children are relatively unusual. ESRI data also shows that only a small percentage of schools have high concentrations of newcomer children.

I realise that standards are not simply achieved by supplying teaching resources and that the quality of the supports that the child receives and the inclusive atmosphere cultivated in schools are important factors influencing the quality of learning achieved by migrant children. My Department recognises that we must monitor and review the educational experiences that are provided to migrant students so that we can improve the quality and effectiveness of our provision. The Department is undertaking a range of research to consider the question of integration in schools and how best to deploy our resources to ensure that all the children in our schools can benefit from learning in an intercultural Ireland.

Photo of Lucinda CreightonLucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 264: To ask the Minister for Education and Science, further to Parliamentary Question No. 508 of 4 November 2008, the effect Budget 2009 will have on substitute cover in each of the schools (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40099/08]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The decision made in the Education Budget for 2009 is to suspend substitution cover for two categories of absences. The two categories of absences for which substitution cover will not be provided for in 2009 are uncertified sick leave at primary and second level and official school business at second level. Substitution cover will continue to be provided for all other categories of absences currently available such as certified sick leave and maternity leave.

The supervision/ substitution scheme will also continue to operate for all schools with teachers continuing to be paid an annual payment of €1,789 in addition to salary for participation in the scheme.

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