asked the Minister for Education the estimated number of primary school children in need of remedial education at present.
Written Answers. - Remedial Education.
122.
Remedial education at primary level is a matter in the first instance for a pupil's class teacher. The majority of pupils with remedial needs would be so helped in the normal way.
Where there are particularly difficult and extensive remedial needs in a school or schools, my Department, on a case being made by the school or schools, considers the question of approving an additional teaching post specifically for remedial work.
It will be appreciated, therefore, that remedial education need is a broad concept which does not lend itself to assessment in terms of an estimated number of pupils in need of such education at a particular time.
123.
asked the Minister for Education the number of remedial teachers under her Department at present; the number appointed in each of the past two years; and the number proposed to be appointed in 1989.
There are 857 existing remedial teaching posts in primary schools. 30 posts were sanctioned in 1987. Remedial teachers in post-primary schools were regarded as ex-quota from the commencement of the 1979-80 school-year. One hundred such posts were approved for post-primary schools in 1979-1980, a further 100 posts were approved in 1980-81 and 37 posts were approved in 1985-86.
A further 55 ex-quota posts were allocated under the terms of my Department's Circular Letter No. 23/86 and designated as remedial/guidance. The utilisation of the 55 posts within the areas of remedial education or guidance counselling has been left to the discretion of the school authorities. In addition, many post-primary schools employ remedial teachers within their approved quota of posts who have been trained in the area of remedial education.
My Department's records do not show the number of remedial teachers appointed by school authorities within the normal quota of teaching posts. My Department has not allocated any new ex-quota remedial posts to post-primary schools in the past two years and there are no proposals to allocate additional posts for 1989.