asked the Minister for Education if he will state in relation to each national school in the wards of Pembroke East, Pembroke West, Rathmines East, City Quay, Mansion House, Royal Exchange and St. Kevin's, Dublin, in 1964-65 and 1969-70 (a) the total number of classes and teachers (excluding principals less than half of whose time is spent on teaching), other than special and remedial classes (e.g. for blind, deaf. dumb, mentally handicapped, physically handicapped and autistic children) and teachers of these classes, (b) the total number of pupils, exclusive of pupils in special and remedial classes, (c) the number of classes with more than 60 pupils, (d) the number of classes with 50-59 pupils, (e) the number of classes with 40-49 pupils and (f) the number of classes with 30-39 pupils.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Schools.
Information is not compiled by my Department on the basis of wards. The compilation of the data on this basis would involve such an inordinate amount of time and trouble as to be wholly unwarranted.
Would the Minister be prepared to give the information in respect of the individual schools in the area?
If the Deputy gives me the names of the schools in question I will see what can be done about it.
I asked for the information on the basis of wards in order to simplify things. If this complicates matters, I will change the format of the question.
26.
asked the Minister for Education if he will state in relation to the national school system in Dublin city (a) the total number of classes and teachers (excluding principals less than half of whose time is spent on teaching) other than special and remedial classes (e.g. for blind, deaf, dumb, mentally handicapped, physically handicapped and autistic children) and teachers of these classes, (b) the total number of pupils, exclusive of pupils in special and remedial classes, (c) the number of these classes with more than 60 pupils in 1964-65 and 1969-70, (d) the number in these years with 50-59 pupils, (e) the number in these years with 40-49 pupils and (f) the number in these years with 30-39 pupils.
With regard to the information for 1969-70 sought by the Deputy, I would refer him to my reply to a similar question on 23rd June, 1970.
Such information was not compiled by my Department in 1964-65.
Could the Minister remind me as to whether the reply he gave was a reply to the question as asked or to a different question? Does the reply already given exclude principals less than half of whose time is spent on teaching? Does it exclude special or remedial classes and are the details given in terms of these categories?
It does not refer to that at all. The reply was given to a question by Deputy Desmond. I pointed out at the time that the processing of the statistics collected on 1st February, 1970, would be done by computer and that some considerable time would elapse before this work could be completed.
May I suggest that it would have been more helpful if the Minister had said that instead of referring me to an answer which does not answer the question? Will the information from the computer be available in the format as asked in the question, and when will it be so available?
The information is not likely to be ready before October next. It is not likely to be in this form. I do not see very much reason for having it in this form. If one were to deduct the numbers involved and take the total number of classes into consideration I do not think it would make much difference to the final result.
Would the Minister not agree that it is important that we should have accurate and relevant information on this subject and that in the case of a number of schools the inclusion of principals where they do not teach, or teach very little, can distort the figures, and that owing to the better staff/student ratio in the special remedial classes their inclusion distorts the figures also?
Without going into the matter very deeply, I would be inclined to think that the inclusion of these different categories would have very little effect on the final result.
Can the Minister say——
We cannot debate this all evening; there are other questions to follow.
——whether he will be agreeable to my consulting with officials in his Department in order to satisfy myself as to what is the position?
The Deputy can deal with the matter through me. I shall be willing to deal with him on it. As I have already said, without having gone deeply into the matter, this was my opinion but we can look further into it.