asked the Minister for Education the number of working weeks in the school year 1981-82 at (a) primary and (b) post-primary level.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Working Weeks.
7.
The period of operation of national schools in governed by the requirement that they must be open for a minimum of 184 days in the school year. Such schools operate on the basis of a five-day week.
Circular M 26/64 of the Department of Education states that in the case of secondary schools operating a five-day week, the Minister is prepared to accept a minimum of 180 days in a school-year provided that in such schools the number of hours of instruction per week is not less than 28 hours. In other circumstances secondary schools must be in operation for a minimum of 200 days. Certificate examination days to a maximum of 12 days may be counted towards the minimum number of 180 or 200 days.
Comprehensive and community schools are administered on the same basis as secondary schools in so far as concerns the period of operation during a school-year.
The period of operation of vocational schools is determined by the vocational education committee subject to the general supervision of the Department of Education. In practice the period of operation is similar to that in the case of secondary schools.
In the school-year 1981-82, in consequence of the special arrangements which it was necessary to make in connection with the marking of the answer-books at the certificate examinations, the Minister for Education decided that post-primary schools authorities might delay the reopening of their schools until 15 September 1981.
I am sorry I was not here for the start of the Minister's reply. I was hoping to get the information in weeks approximately. I gather the Minister gave the number of days in the year. I wanted to know the average number of weeks in the school year.
Normally the reckoning is done on the basis of days because of the difference with some schools operating a five-day or a six-day week. Therefore, the combination is made on the basis of days. The opening dates and vacation dates are arranged by the authorities of the individual post-primary schools. This lack of uniformity does not permit of the provision of detailed dates for school terms. The average school term at second level is as follows: 17 weeks approximately from commencement of school year to Christmas; 12 weeks approximately from early January to Easter; and eight weeks approximately from early April to early June.
My anxiety was that, in respect of the proposed changes in school transport, where a family are obliged to pay £150 per year, it would seem to me that there will now be a charge of £4 on the mother in each school-going week. I was anxious to ascertain whether or not the Minister was happy with that situation.
I consider that to be a separate question.
I suggest it is a very pertinent question. The Minister has indicated to me the number of weeks in a school year. She is responsible for changes in the transport charges. I asked her if she will accept that, if you divide the number of weeks in the school year into £150, you get a charge of £4 plus on every family, payable in advance. It is yes or no.
This is a statistical question. It asks about the number of working weeks in the school year. It does not appear to have anything in it about charges for school transport. It might be more appropriate for the Deputy to put down a question about school transport.
I am indebted to the Chair for that elucidation. The Chair will accept that the proposer of a parliamentary question is entitled to ask subsequently for information based on the information in the Minister's reply.
As the Chair sees it, the Minister might not necessarily be under notice that she would require to have that information about school transport.
I accept that, but the Minister should be able to accept, without any precise information from her Department that, if you divide £150 by 36 you get a certain answer. That is all I am asking the Minister to accept.
The Minister takes the attitude that it is a separate question.
I appreciate the position of the Chair.