Signature Project: Calls to extend new teachers scheme

Schools have appealed to the education minister to retain a scheme that helps pupils and provides work for hundreds of newly qualified teachers.

Known as the Signature Project, it has provided extra staff to schools and gave unemployed teachers the chance of two years' work.

It is due to end in June but principals are hoping it will be extended.

The Department of Education has said no decision has been made, but warned that times are tough for public finances.

Extra help

The £16m scheme has been paid for mainly by the Office of the First and Deputy First Ministers, but the Department of Education also contributed to the bill.

The two-year scheme offered work to newly qualified teachers and in turn, offered extra literacy and numeracy help to primary and post-primary schools.

Principals have said they would like to see it continue, for the benefit of both young teachers and pupils.

They also expressed concerns that weaker pupils would lose the extra help they have been getting in the classroom if the project ends in a few months' time.

Principals have said the scheme benefits both pupils and young teachers

Under the scheme, about 270 posts were created to allow selected schools to give special classes in literacy and numeracy. Pupils are given extra tuition in small groups.

The posts have been split between primary, secondary, grammar, Irish medium and integrated schools.

Schools qualified for the scheme under two criteria - if standards were not high enough or if it was located in a deprived area.

'Financial constraints'

Parkhall primary school in County Antrim is among the schools that benefited from the scheme.

Its principal, Sandra Boyd, is among the head teachers who have called for the scheme to be extended.

"We'd be very sorry to see it coming to an end," she said.

"We understand the financial constraints but it would seem a pity just to take it [away] when it's working very well and that more children coming through school could benefit from it."

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said it was still considering the scheme's future, but they added they were dealing with a severely constrained financial climate.