Deputy Gregory has given me notice of his intention to raise the loss of a teacher at St. Laurence O'Toole senior boys' national school, Dublin 1. The matter is in order, Deputy Gregory has five minutes to present his case and the Minister of State has five minutes to reply.
Adjournment Debate. - Dublin School Staff Complement.
Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me to raise this matter on the Adjournment. We were told yesterday in the budget speech that the Government believe that the full educational potential of many children is not, and cannot be, realised because of their disadvantaged background. We were also told that the Government have a strong commitment to the poor and disadvantaged.
Prior to the budget, the Programme for Economic and Social Progress stated in the section dealing with social reform that particular attention must be paid to children suffering educational or social disadvantage through early identification of those children allied to positive intervention to support them during the provision of remedial teaching, guidance and counselling and the development of home-school links. The programme went on to give a commitment that resources would be targeted to assist the disadvantaged in availing of the various educational or training services. It specifically committed itself at primary level, that this would be achieved by retaining all existing posts in 1991 and 1992 and by creating 250 new posts in September 1991. It stated that this process was aimed at reducing over-large classes and meeting the needs of the disadvantaged.
In that context I want to refer to St. Laurence O'Toole senior boys' national school, Seville Place, in the very heart of the inner city of Dublin. This school serves a most disadvantaged area in the north inner city and includes many children from the Sheriff Street flats. Here there is no need for early identification of those children suffering educational or social disadvantage. Why? Because all the children in this school, as in many other inner city schools, come from a background of acute social and economic disadvantage and deprivation. I am sure that the Minister will at least accept that.
It would be difficult to paint a more bleak picture; there is over 70 per cent unemployment among the adult population, there are appalling living conditions in Sheriff Street and even their future as a community is unclear. Against this background it is very difficult to understand the threat which still hangs over one of the teaching posts in this school from 31 August this year. The school has been informed by the Department of Education that it will lose a teaching post which it had received under the 1985 special scheme for schools serving disadvantaged areas.
I am hopeful that the Minister will tell the House that that threat has been, or will be, withdrawn. As things are at present the Christian Brothers must pay a substitute teacher to ensure that there is one teacher per class and the principal takes charge of special classes, in itself evidence of their commitment to the educational needs of the children. Already the school is experiencing great difficulty in coping with the limited resources available to them. The school authorities state that the loss of staff later this year will create an impossible and hopeless situation. The excuse for taking away a teacher is that there is a decline in enrolments. However, if the school had adequate resources there would be no such decline. If existing resources are taken from them it is hardly likely that the school will survive.
At the same time that the Department informed the school of the loss of a teacher they expect the school to take on additional functions, including a new home-school liaison scheme, school trips and the drawing up of a new code of discipline. The staff are, of course, more than willing to do this but, clearly, that depends on adequate staffing being available. They rightly point out that it is pointless and meaningless to introduce new schemes during 1991 only to have them abandoned the following summer. If the cutbacks are implemented, inevitably that will happen. I am sure the Minister will agree that the only chance a child has, if he or she is to break out of the cycle of poverty and deprivation, is through education.
This school and many others around the city of Dublin and in other disadvantaged communities are struggling selflessly against inequality. I appeal to the Minister, in this specific instance, to respond positively, to withdraw the directive already issued and to allow the school to survive. At least leave the school the existing staff.
The enrolment on 30 September 1987 in St. Laurence O'Toole senior boys' school was 92 pupils. It had fallen on 30 September 1990 to 72 pupils and the position in regard to the school is that, due to the movement of people from the Sheriff Street-Sackville Place area, there will be a significant decline in numbers in the school over the next 12 months due to a reduction in the number of pupils joining the school next year in comparison to those who will leave.
In 1985 sanction was obtained for the appointment of a number of additional teachers in areas of disadvantage. As a result of the criteria which were agreed, one concessionary post was warranted in St. Laurence O'Toole senior school. In 1985-86 the school had an authorised staff of one principal and four assistants. However, it was decided to allocate two concessionary posts to the school as an exceptional measure, subject to review.
The question of the continued allocation of the second concessionary post was considered by my Department at the commencement of the current school year. We requested a report from the inspector on that and he reported that, due to significant population movement as a result of the development of the Custom House Dock site, a number of families were leaving the area and that, consequently, the numbers would be reduced even further. I might add that this is the only school in the country where a second concessionary post was granted following the 1985 scheme. In view of the continuing decline in the current year the Department informed the board of management of their decision to discontinue the second concessionary post from 1 September 1991. The Departmen are quite satisfied that the existing complement of teachers in the school, given the declining numbers, is satisfactory.
In conclusion the school, along with St. Laurence O'Toole junior boys', junior girls' and senior girls' schools, was selected for inclusion in the three year home school community liaison pilot project and a teacher was appointed from November 1990 as part of this project. I am satisfied, therefore, that the school is adequately served by its existing staff and that the serious difficulties, as described by Deputy Gregory, will not arise out of the reduction of one teacher.
The Dáil adjourned at 5.35 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 5 February 1991.