To ask the Minister for Education (a) if it is within the power of the Education Authority to insist that where the average attendance at a particular school warrants the appointment of an additional teacher, such additional teacher shall be appointed to the school. (b) If he is aware that in certain parts of the country, notably in the areas covered by the Diocese of Ardagh, and also in parts of the Archdiocese of Armagh, school managers have refused to appoint Junior Assistant Mistresses to schools where the average attendance would warrant such appointment, and seeing that such schools cannot be effectively worked by one teacher, will the Minister have arrangements made which will secure that such schools are sufficiently staffed?
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. [ORAL ANSWERS.] - ADDITIONAL TEACHERS.
(a) Regulations governing such appointments are set out in the published Code of Rules. (b) I have no information as to the alleged action referred to in this part of the question.
May I point out to the Minister that the point of the question is, whether he has power to see that these regulations are carried out?
As regards any regulations that are of a compulsory character, the Ministry, of course, has power to see that they are carried out.
Would the Minister say whether these particular regulations are of a compulsory, or permissive, character?
I am afraid I would myself have to read the regulations very carefully in order to answer that.