asked the Minister for Education if she will elaborate further on paragraph 5.11 of the action plan in education; and who will be responsible for the payment of salaries to the envisaged part-time secondary school teachers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Programme for Action in Education.
19.
As mentioned in the paragraph referred to, the objective is to allow greater flexibility to managers of secondary schools so that they may be better able to meet the needs and subject options of the pupils.
It is proposed to have discussions with representatives of the managerial and teacher organisations before a circular letter is issued to the schools setting out the detailed arrangements and conditions.
I must tell the Minister that I do not at all agree with the employment of part-time teachers. I would far prefer a system whereby——
A question, please, Deputy.
Does the Minister not think that the employment of regular full-time teachers is far more desirable an objective than the ad hoc arrangement of employing part-time teachers, particularly in secondary schools where there is a need for continuity and a rapport between teachers and pupils, especially in certain subjects? Is the Minister aware that this trend could escalate and that her adverse pupil-teacher ratio of last year which remains as a result of this year's budget is leading to schools being very much in an impasse as regards the employment of teachers?
The Deputy has an obsession about losing her memory. I am sorry she dislikes——
We are now in 1984 but the Minister thinks it is still 1983. Her action plan is supposed to cover the period 1984 to 1987.
The Minister has been asked a question and she must be allowed to reply.
The Deputies may be interested to know that representatives of the secondary school managers raised the question of the appointment of part-time teachers. It was in response to that that in the programme for action we decided that in order to give managers greater flexibility secondary schools would be allowed to appoint part-time teachers.
Are we dealing with the programme for action for 1984-1987, or are we dealing with the period from 1982 to 1987, or 1983 to 1987?