‘More support needed for non-English speaking pupils’

A LIMIT of two language support teachers per school, no matter how many pupils don’t have English as a first language, is to be reviewed.

Demands for extra resources to help schools with large numbers of foreign students provide English classes may be met under a review being undertaken by the Department of Education.

Under existing rules, a school with 14 pupils whose first language is not English is entitled to a full-time language support teacher, while a second post is sanctioned if there are 28 such children. But even if a school has 100 students who need language support, the number of extra staff is still limited to two.