Jim O'Callaghan
Question:319. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of expanding the support teacher model to include five more schools. [42411/24]
View answerTuesday, 22 October 2024
Questions (319)
Written answers
The Support Teacher Project was established by my Department in 1995 in a number of DEIS primary schools. Support Teacher posts are assigned to assist in supporting pupils with behaviours of concern.
Its primary purpose, at the time of establishment, was to support the holistic development of pupils who may exhibit disruptive behaviours or who are withdrawn from their peers while promoting measures to reduce the impact of their behaviour on their own education and that of their peers.
Currently, 39 DEIS primary schools have access to the project, with individual schools managing these posts.
A review of the project by the Departments Inspectorate, was published in 2020.
The 2024 average salary costs (inc. Employer PRSI) for a primary teacher is :
Primary Teacher
• Excluding Employer PRSI: €65,670
• Including Employer PRSI: €72,090
Notes:
1. The figures above are based on expenditure in 2023 and the average public sector numbers in Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 2023
2. The values include substitution costs
The full year cost of providing a Support Teacher Post in an additional 5 schools (i.e. 5 primary teachers) is estimated to be in the region of €360,450.