Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 636: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of migrant children in receipt of language support in each of the past five school years at primary level, including 2008-09; the corresponding number of whole-time equivalent language posts; the annual cost; the school enrolment in each year; the projections under each category for 2009-10; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18086/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The number of full-time teaching posts allocated to primary schools in respect of teaching English language support is currently of the order of 1,570 at a cost of approximately €97 million per annum. The corresponding figures for the past 4 years were: 1,519 in 2007/08 at a cost of approximately €94 million; 1,068 in 2006/07 at a cost of approximately €64 million; 563 in 2005/06 at a cost of approximately €33 million; 405 in 2004/05 at a cost of approximately €22 million.

Additional supports are provided for children in schools who do not meet the qualifying criteria for the appointment of full-time teachers in the form of grant aids for the employment of part-time English language support teachers. 443 schools have benefited from this type of financial support in the current school year at a total additional cost of just over €3 million.

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of newcomer pupils in receipt of English language support in each of the past five school years is not readily available within my Department and would involve an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile. However it is estimated that in the region of 28,000 children in first and second level schools benefited from English language support in the 2007/2008 school year.

In light of the Budget 2009 decision my Department has now published a circular for schools which sets out how the new arrangements will operate for the allocation of language support teachers from September 2009. The circular sets out a structured and transparent approach for the operation of the alleviation measures that were announced in the budget for schools that have a significant concentration of newcomer pupils. The alleviation measures mean that these schools can qualify for up to 4 language support posts with the possibility of additional posts also being approved through the independent staffing appeals mechanism.

Schools can now apply to my Department in the normal way for language support posts. These posts are approved on a provisional basis initially and will be confirmed in September 2009 following receipt from the schools of actual enrolments of pupils requiring language support. It is estimated that notwithstanding the budget measures there will be over 1,400 language support teaching posts in our primary and post-primary 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.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 637: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of migrant children in receipt of language support in each of the past five school years at post primary level, including 2008-09; the corresponding number of whole time equivalent language posts; the annual cost; the school enrolment in each year; the projections under each category for 2009-10; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18087/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The number of whole-time equivalent posts (wtes) allocated to post-primary schools in respect of teaching English language support is currently 560 at a cost of approximately €35 million per annum. The corresponding figure for the past 4 years was – 480 wtes in 2007/08 at a cost of approx. €29 million,

288 wtes in 2006/07 at a cost of approx. €17 million,

263 wtes in 2005/06 at a cost of approx. €15 million and

206 wtes in 2004/05 at a cost of approx. €11 million.

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of migrant pupils in receipt of Language support in each of the past five school years at post-primary level is not readily available within my Department and would involve an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile. However it is estimated that in the region of 28,000 children in first and second level schools benefited from English language support in the 2007/2008 school year.

In light of the Budget 2009 decision my Department has now published a circular for schools which sets out how the new arrangements will operate for the allocation of language support teachers from September 2009. The circular sets out a structured and transparent approach for the operation of the alleviation measures that were announced in the budget for schools that have a significant concentration of newcomer pupils. The alleviation measures mean that these schools can qualify for up to 4 language support posts with the possibility of additional post(s) also being approved through the independent staffing appeals mechanism.

Schools can now apply to my Department in the normal way for language support posts. These posts are approved on a provisional basis initially and will be confirmed in September 2009 following receipt from the schools of actual enrolments of pupils requiring language support. It is estimated that notwithstanding the budget measures there will be over 1,400 language support teaching posts in our primary and post-primary 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.