Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 36: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he is committed to maintaining supports for the leaving certificate applied programme in 2012 in view of his recent decision not to sanction the professional development service for teachers national co-ordinator post. [34762/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) National Coordinator post for support for the Leaving Cert Applied (LCA) programme in post-primary schools was vacated at the start of this school year. Given recent changing priorities and developments in relation to continuing professional development (CPD), notably my Department's literacy and numeracy strategy, as well as pressure on personnel numbers, it is not intended to fill the National Coordinator vacancy at the present time. However, the levels of resources including personnel available to the PDST are being increased for the 2011/2012 school year.

The PDST was established to provide the organisational structures and the flexibility necessary to respond to changing need. The key task of the PDST is to build capacity at all levels within the organisation and among teachers but in particular at advisor and associate level to ensure that CPD needs can be identified and responded to in an effective way within the resources provided. Service in the LCA area in continuing, with the co-ordination of activities taken over by other personnel within the PDST and with the professional side (i.e course content/delivery/training of facilitators etc) handled by the 2 PDST advisors who are currently working in this area.

The PDST have prepared a comprehensive programme of support for schools engaged in the LCA programme in the current year which includes sessions for new schools and new LCA coordinators and a number of workshops, whole staff supports and web based supports amongst other items. They are also actively looking at further developing their network of part time personnel to further expand the proposed provision. The PDST are currently looking at their organisational structure with a view to creating a service which will have the necessary capacity in terms of planning, leadership, management, programme design, research, pedagogy and communications systems to meet the current and emerging needs of the education system and the priorities of government educational policies.