asked the Minister for Education if she accepts the recommendation of UNESCO that there should be one educational psychologist for every 6,000 pupils within the school system; and the ratio which obtains within the Irish school system.
Written Answers. - Educational Psychologist.
305.
I am aware of the suggestion referred to which was made in a report prepared for UNESCO in the fifties. I believe there would be general agreement nowadays that the level of provision to be made for psychological services to schools has to be seen in the context of the provision of educational services generally rather than on a strictly mathematical basis.
In the Irish school system there are at present 25 educational psychologists employed by the Department of Education, and a small number employed in the vocational education sector, catering mainly for the 300,000 post-primary pupils in our schools.
As regards the primary schools, I have recently announced the launching of a pilot scheme for a psychological service for pupils in primary schools.