asked the Minister for Education if he will state (a) the proportion of untrained lay to trained lay teachers in national schools, (b) the proportion of untrained religious to trained religious teachers in national schools, (c) the present output rate of teachers from training schools, (d) the annual wastage rate of teachers from the profession, and (e) the additional number of teachers required if the Council of Education's unanimous recommendation to reduce the size of classes to an optimum figure of 30 pupils per class was accepted.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Teachers.
(a) Approximately 20 per cent. (i.e., 2,079 teachers) of the lay teachers in national schools are untrained (the figure 2,079 includes 1,256 teachers in the category Junior Assistant Mistress normally an untrained class).
(b) Approximately 32 per cent. (i.e., 927 teachers) of the religious in national schools are untrained (282 of these i.e., about 10 per cent. of the total, are awaiting entry to the training college, some having already undergone the first year of training).
(c) the present output rate of trained lay teachers from the training colleges is 418.
(d) The annual wastage rate of trained lay teachers at present is 334.
(e) On the basis of current enrolment approximately 3,100 additional teachers would be required to implement the recommendations of the Council of Education in regard to the staffing of national schools.
Could the Minister say if there is any truth in the rumour— published in the Irish Press, I think— that the ban on married women teachers was to be lifted and that the regulations—
Surely that is a separate matter?
If the Minister says he has not got the information, he need not tell me. Is it intended to do away with the 1934 ban on the employment of married women teachers?
I have no knowledge of the article referred to by the Deputy. It certainly was not inspired by me.
If the Minister has not any knowledge, I am satisfied. But what I want to know is: Is the Minister going to let the married teachers back?
Sin ceist eile.
Sin ceist eile.
Díreach, sin ceist go fóill.