A total of £57 million was earmarked in the Budget last week "to tackle education disadvantage at all levels" over the next two years. At second level, 225 new teachers will be appointed and a further 225 are to be appointed at primary level. The appointments will become effective from next September. In primary schools, extra funding will be provided to schools for part-time teaching hours. These extra teachers are fully separate from the "demographic dividend" for 1999 which will be allocated during the year. A remedial teacher service will also be available to primary schools. And at second-level the new teachers will enable the move towards the provision of an automatic remedial resource in all schools and home/school/community liaison in all disadvantaged schools. The INTO sees it as a major breakthrough but "there remains the problem of schools in disadvantaged areas which have lost teachers".

The ASTI welcomed the extra teachers and the decision to allow schools to retain teachers who would otherwise be moved as enrolments decline but general secretary Charlie Lennon says the system of designating schools as disadvantaged needs to be reassessed.

"Reducing the ratio for appointing teachers to all schools would benefit the entire education system," he says. The TUI welcomed the announcement but expressed disappointment that "inadequate resources are being allocated."