Ms Ramsey asked the Minister of Education to list the schools that receive funding from Pre-School Education Advisory Groups.

(AQW 1412/00)

The Minister of Education (Mr M McGuinness): The following nursery schools/units have been established under the pre-school education expansion programme which is planned at local level by pre-school education advisory groups (PEAGs):

In addition the following nursery schools/units, established under other initiatives are receiving recurrent funding under the expansion programme:-

(AQW 1414/00)

Mr M McGuinness: Details of the number and location of pre-school places to be funded by my Department’s pre-school education expansion programme may be found in the annual plans drawn up by the pre-school education advisory group in each education and library board and approved by my Department. The programme commenced in 1998 and the current expansion phase during which new places are identified for funding will run to the end of the 2001-02 financial year. The ultimate aim of the programme is to provide one year of pre-school education for every child whose parents wish it, with places for at least 85% by 2001-02.

Planning figures for new statutory nursery places and funded places in the voluntary and private sector for 2001-02 are as follows:

Copies of approved plans may be obtained from the Boards’ PEAGs. The 2001-02 draft plans submitted by the Belfast, North Eastern and South Eastern Board PEAGs have been approved: those for Western and Southern boards are still under discussion with their PEAGs, but I anticipate that they will be approved shortly.

(AQW 1420/00)

Mr M McGuinness: The information requested is not held by the Department of Education nor collated by the relevant employing authorities.

(AQW 1465/00)

Mr M McGuinness: In October 1997 there were funded pre-school places for 45% of all children in their final pre-school year. As a result of my Department’s investment of £38 million in the pre-school education expansion programme over four years from 1998-99, I expect that, by 2001-02, over 9,000 new pre-school education places will have been secured, making places available for at least 85% of all children in their final pre-school year. The additional pre-school provision is being created by the establishment of new statutory nursery units and, for the first time, the funding of places in existing voluntary/private settings which meet the standards of the programme. In the current academic year places are available for some 75% of children in their final pre-school year.

The ultimate long-term aim of the programme is to provide one year’s pre-school education for every child whose parents wish it.

(AQW 1470/00)

Mr M McGuinness: Assistance with home to school transport is provided where it is considered necessary to facilitate the attendance of pupils at grant-aided schools.

Education and library boards provide transport assistance, under arrangements approved by my Department, where a pupil is unable to gain a place in a suitable school within statutory walking distance of his or her home. Statutory walking distance is two miles for primary school pupils and three miles for others, measured by the nearest available route.

The definition of a suitable school relates to the established educational categories of controlled, Catholic maintained, Irish-medium and integrated and, in the grammar sector, denominational and non-denominational schools.

These arrangements were introduced from the beginning of the 1997-98 school year and apply equally to all five education and library boards. They also permit boards to exercise discretion in exceptional circumstances in relation to the rule governing statutory walking distance.

Mr McClarty asked the Minister of Education to confirm that a uniform policy exists in relation to school transportation assistance across all the education and library boards and to make a statement.

(AQW 1471/00)

Mr M McGuinness: Assistance with home to school transport is provided where it is considered necessary to facilitate the attendance of pupils at grant-aided schools.

Education and library boards provide transport assistance, under arrangements approved by my Department, where a pupil is unable to gain a place in a suitable school within statutory walking distance of his or her home. Statutory walking distance is two miles for primary school pupils and three miles for others, measured by the nearest available route.

The definition of a suitable school relates to the established educational categories of controlled, Catholic maintained, Irish-medium and integrated and, in the grammar sector, denominational and non-denominational schools.

These arrangements were introduced from the beginning of the 1997-98 school year and apply equally to all five education and library boards. They also permit boards to exercise discretion in exceptional circumstances in relation to the rule governing statutory walking distance.

(AQW 1473/00)

Mr M McGuinness: A pupil’s name may not be removed from a school roll unless the school is advised that the pupil has registered at another school, has died, moved to another country or been expelled. The responsibility for pursuing such cases and ensuring that the individual receives efficient education lies with the education welfare services of the education and library boards. My Department does not collect data on the numbers and circumstances of children who are not on school rolls.

(AQW 1474/00)

Mr M McGuinness: The table below gives details of the number of temporary teachers who were employed in the education and library boards during each of the last ten years.

Where in any year, a temporary teacher was employed in more than one education and library board, he or she is included in the number shown for each board in which he or she worked.

(AQW 1475/00)

Mr M McGuinness: The information for (a) is only available in the same form from 1993/94, as follows:

The information requested at (b) is not held by the Department, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

(AQW 1476/00)

Mr M McGuinness: The following table details the numbers of permanent teachers employed in primary and post primary schools in the five education and library boards during the month of October in each of the last ten years.

Fluctuations in the permanent workforce throughout the year would be minor.

(AQW 1477/00)

Mr M McGuinness: The information requested is not held by the Department of Education or collated by the relevant employing authorities.

(AQW 1481/00)

Mr M McGuinness: Responsibility for the disposal of Glaskermore Primary School rests with the Southern Education and Library Board. The board used the services of the Valuation and Lands Agency (VLA) to handle the sale of Glaskermore and two other school properties. The agency appointed an agent to advertise the properties and to receive offers by private treaty sale. I understand that the procedure regarding the precise time for the submission of offers was not followed and that all interested parties had to be advised of an extended deadline for receipt of bids. The board has advised my Department that it will be consulting the VLA about appropriate action to ensure that its agents issue precise details to prospective bidders in future cases.

(AQW 1483/00)

Mr M McGuinness: As the table below shows, at the time of the 1996-97 school census there were 8,522 pre-school children in nursery schools and nursery units attached to primary schools. As a result of the pre-school education expansion programme and other initiatives such as Making Belfast Work, the Londonderry Regeneration Initiative and the EU Special Support programme for Peace and Reconciliation, this figure had increased to 9,999 in 1999-2000 (the last year for which complete figures are available). The table also shows that in 1999-2000 there were 2,330 reception pupils, and in addition the expansion programme had provided for the funding of 3,407 places in voluntary and private settings.

(AQW 1486/00)

Mr M McGuinness: Many schools offer a wide range of activities in after-school clubs which they may fund from within their budget allocations. Apart from the normal requirements regarding the vetting of staff and volunteers involved in any activities in schools, my Department has no specific regulations governing their operation and I have no plans for any changes to the arrangements for the regulation and funding of afterschool clubs.

Resources to support a range of out of school hours learning activities are available to schools from the New Opportunities Fund; the amounts of these awards and the conditions and requirements relating to them are determined by the Fund.

My Department allocates resources to the education and library boards for summer literacy and numeracy schemes in each board area. Such schemes operate in accordance with working guidance issued by my Department.

(AQW 1491/00)

Mr M McGuinness: All post-primary schools with female pupils have been advised that pregnant schoolgirls and school age mothers should be supported to complete full-time mainstream education and to continue beyond the age of 16 if they wish. The school’s education welfare officer, acting as ‘lead’ worker, will work with the young woman, her carers and the school staff to prepare an education plan covering the later stages of pregnancy, the immediate post-natal period and the longer term. Support may also be available before and after the birth through her school, through home tuition, group tuition or participation in a School Age Mothers Project.

(AQW 1498/00)

Mr M McGuinness: Data for 1996-97 are not available. The data for 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000 are as follows:

(AQW 1521/00)

Mr M McGuinness: The table below details allocations to schools under the local management of schools (LMS) formulae by the five education and library boards in the 2000-01 financial year in total and on a per pupil basis. It excludes voluntary grammar and grant maintained integrated schools which are funded directly by the Department.

The figures do not include funds provided to schools during the year, from resources retained centrally by the Boards, to meet expenditure on substitution and other centrally met teacher costs, maintenance, the school improvement programme and other initiatives. They also exclude additional in-year allocations for specific purposes such as those recently announced for repairs and maintenance, reading books and assistance towards increased energy costs.

(AQW 1522/00)

Mr M McGuinness: Since taking office I have met a wide variety of youth organisations, including the Youth Council, and while the main focus of such discussions is normally on the youth service, organisations may of course raise with me other issues from the wider education sector.

(AQW 1524/00)

Mr M McGuinness: Teacher recruitment is a matter for the various employing authorities and I have received no formal representation about difficulties in recruitment.

The proportion of teachers leaving employment through resignation in the last school year was 1^.6% of the total teaching workforce.

(AQW 1527/00)

Mr M McGuinness: On 23 January both sides of the Teachers’ Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee (Schools) reached agreement on a revised pay structure for teachers here. The agreement is most welcome and covers new threshold assessment arrangements, a new leadership group salary spine and a performance management system. This is not directly analogous to a performance-related pay scheme.

Under the agreement, teachers at the maximum of the main pay scale for one year, who choose to apply for threshold assessment and who are successful, have access to a new upper pay spine. Other teachers will continue to progress up the main scale each year unless they are subject to the unsatisfactory teachers’ procedure. The leadership group restores vice-principals to the same salary spine as principals and introduces a new post of assistant vice-principal. The performance management scheme will support all teachers to agree and review objectives for improvements within the context of school development plans and inform decisions on progression up the pay scales for post-threshold teachers and leadership group posts.

Urgent steps to implement the agreement are now being taken by management side in consultation with teachers’ side.

(AQW 1538/00)

Mr M McGuinness: The information requested is not recorded by constituency. Expenditure by schools, as recorded in local management of schools outturn statements published by the Belfast Education and Library Board and the South Eastern Education and Library Board for financial years 1991-92 to date, is as follows:

As the local management of schools scheme was first implemented in April 1991 the information in respect of 1990-91 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It should also be noted that expenditure figures in respect of those funds retained centrally by boards and provided in-year to schools for central teacher substitution costs, special initiatives etc are only available and included from 1995-96 onwards.

(AQW 1559/00)

Mr M McGuinness: Figures are currently available only for hearing impaired pupils in secondary schools. The situation at October 2000 in those schools was as follows :

I will write to you again when the figures for nursery and primary schools become available.

My Department is not aware of any sign language interpreters being employed to support hearing impaired pupils in mainstream schools. The only local school to use sign language on a regular basis is Jordanstown Special School (for the hearing and visually impaired) where signing is provided by the teachers and classroom assistants. This would also be the case for any pupils requiring signing in mainstream schools.

(AQW 1566/00)

Mr M McGuinness: Places on initial teacher training courses are usually oversubscribed and attract sufficient higher calibre candidates so that almost all are filled by the higher education institutions. The outcome of the annual recruitment process, now under way for the 2001-02 academic year, is monitored by my Department, which sets the intakes at levels based on a statistical forecast of teacher vacancies.