asked the Minister for Education what is the average ratio of pupils per teacher in special schools for mildly retarded children.
20.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Retarded Children.
19.
asked the Minister for Education what is the average ratio of pupils per teacher in special schools for moderately retarded children.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 20 together.
The staffing arrangements for special national schools for mildly and moderately mentally handicapped children are 3 teachers for 41-60 pupils, one teacher for every further 20 pupils to 160 and thence by steps of 15 pupils per teacher.
Am I to understand that one has to have 21 pupils for a school?
41 for three teachers.
The Minister told me that a week or a fortnight ago. I tried to find out the minimum one must have for one teacher. It is a very simple question. Would the Minister answer it?
I would not recognise a school for one teacher with this type of pupil. I answered the Deputy a fortnight ago. On the information available to me, a viable school would require three teachers and would, therefore, have to have 41 pupils.
Does the Minister think it would be possible in any small town in rural Ireland to get 41 children so that one could open such a school? Are the statistics not loaded very heavily against it and may I courteously now suggest to the Minister that his Department has absolutely no policy in relation to mildly or moderately handicapped children?
It is not possible to have a viable school for that number of pupils and one cannot, therefore, have a policy for something that is not possible.
Where will one get the pupils from? There will be no schools because the Minister will not have a school for less than 41 and therefore there will be no policy at all.