asked the Minister for Education the number of new teachers actually appointed last year in (a) primary, (b) vocational, (c) secondary, and (d) community or comprehensive schools as part of the Government's programme to reduce pupil-teacher ratios, i.e. after allowance for increases in student numbers and natural wastage.
Written Answers. - New Teachers.
154.
I regret that I am not in a position to supply the information in the form requested by the Deputy. The expression "new teachers actually appointed" includes all new entrants to the service in the year and there is no way in which numbers of such teachers can be attributed respectively to particular appointments of the nature mentioned in the question, namely, increased student numbers and natural wastage. Posts arising from these two causes would have been filled also by transfers within the service and by teachers qualified in earlier years returning to the service. It would not, accordingly, be possible to trace back the ultimate reason for the appointment of the new entrants and, indeed, any figures which might result from an attempt to do so would not have any real significance.