Richard Bruton
Question:389 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of additional remedial teachers he plans to provide at primary and second level in the 1998-9 school year. [19175/98]
Written Answers. - School Staffing.
Emmet Stagg
Question:394 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Education and Science if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 257 of 1 October 1998, he will appoint any further remedial teachers to national schools in the next six months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19284/98]
Ulick Burke
Question:410 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Education and Science when he will appoint a remedial teacher to schools (details supplied) on a shared basis in view of the fact that there is an established need and a request for this appointment has been sought for the past 18 years. [19419/98]
Michael Ring
Question:417 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science when a remedial teacher will be appointed to a school (details supplied) in County Mayo on a shared basis. [19538/98]
Michael Ring
Question:418 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science when he will make further allocations of remedial teachers for primary schools. [19539/98]
Ulick Burke
Question:424 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will make available the services of a remedial teacher to Cappataggle national school, Ballinasloe, County Galway, in view of the fact there is an established need in this school and the board of management has requested this position for the past four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19634/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 389, 394, 410, 417, 418 and 424 together.
My capacity to allocate additional remedial teacher posts in any given year is dependent on resource availability and the level of competing demand from other special needs areas. I recently allocated an additional 60 remedial teacher posts to national schools with effect from September 1998. There are now 1,302 remedial teacher posts in place in national schools. There are 350 remedial teachers in second level schools. No new posts were allocated at second level for the 1998-99 school year.
I will continue to review needs in this area. In the event of additional remedial teacher posts becoming available for allocation, I can assure the Deputies the needs of the schools to which they refer will be fully considered.
Richard Bruton
Question:390 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, he has to compensate school management for the loss in teaching resulting from the appointment of assistant principals under the PCW agreement in all second level schools; if he will allocate compensatory teachers in schools affected by these measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19176/98]
The PCW agrement did not provide for a specific additional teaching allocation to be made to school authorities arising from the creation of assistant principal posts.
It is open to the authorities of schools, which are experiencing curricular difficulties, to submit an appeal for an increase in their approved teacher allocation. Such appeals will be considered on their individual merits within available resources.
Richard Bruton
Question:391 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the proposals, if any, he has to have trained guidance counsellors recruited into the education system in permanent positions against a background where an estimated 37 per cent of schools have no trained guidance counsellor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19177/98]
All second level schools in the free education scheme have an ex quota allocation in respect of guidance. The total allocation to second level schools in respect of guidance in the current school year is approximately 567 whole-time teacher equivalents. The question of increasing the allocation for guidance will be considered in the context of available resources.
To be appointed to an incremental post as a guidance counsellor, a teacher must be fully qualified to teach in the relevant sector, that is, secondary, vocational or community/ comprehensive, and must have an additional qualification in guidance which is normally awarded at the end of a postgraduate course of at least a year's duration. I am satisfied that, with the relatively recent increase in the number of training courses available for guidance counsellors from an original two courses to six courses, sufficient places can be made available to meet the need for guidance counsellors in schools.