Vol. 407 No. 9
205 Mr. Ryan asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to an application from the board of management of St. Patrick's girls national school, Donabate, County Dublin for an additional teaching assistant; and given the sizes of the classes in question, if she will sanction this appointment.
As the Deputy will be aware the staffing of national schools for a particular year is determined by the enrolment in the school on 30 September of the previous year. This is in accordance with the agreement between the Government and INTO under the Programme for National Recovery.
School authorities are responsible for arranging the organisation of the school so as to ensure that no class group exceeds the following guidelines: 39 (in the case of a single-grade class-group); 38 (in the case of a class-group with two consecutive grades) and 35 (in the case of a multigrade class-group)
An application was made, in May 1990, by the board of management of St. Patrick's girls national school, Donabate, for the appointment of an additional assistant teacher to the school for the 1990-91 school year.
The school is a six-teacher school having also a shared post of remedial teacher. The enrolment on 30 September 1989, which determines the staffing for the school-year 1990-91, was 183. The enrolment required for a seventh teacher in that year was 210. Accordingly there were no grounds on which to grant the board's request.
I am satisfied that the enrolment in the school does not breach the maximum class size guidelines and therefore the appointment of an additional assistant is not warranted.
