Eric J. Byrne
Question:85 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Education if he will agree to extend the date for calculating student registration numbers in primary national schools from 30 September, to a later date in December-January.
Written Answers. - Schools' Staffing.
Eric J. Byrne
Question:86 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Education if his attention has been drawn to the fact that it is a regular occurrence for schools to be deprived of a teacher in the following academic year because of the numbers registered on 30 September, even though the required number of students often register on days between 30 September and January of the following year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Eric J. Byrne
Question:88 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Education if he will review the situation whereby his Department are applying, in a rigid and inflexible manner, the regulations on school numbers required to be registered at 30 September; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 85, 86, and 88 together.
An agreement was reached in 1988 between my Department, the Irish National Teachers Organisation, and the managerial authorities, which amended the rules for national schools so that, henceforth, the staffing for the school year will be based on the total number of pupils validly enrolled in the school on the 30 September of the previous school year.
Criteria were established to allow for the appointment of additional teachers over and above the number warranted by 30 September enrolment, in schools which could be designated as developing or where my Department's guidelines on maximum class sizes were being breached.
These arrangements have operated satisfactorily since 1988 and I have no plans to alter them.
Eric J. Byrne
Question:87 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Education whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Assumption senior national school for girls, Walkinstown, Dublin 12, will be minus a teacher in the 1992-1993 academic year, even though the school has sufficient numbers of pupils on rolls.
The staffing of a national school is determined by the enrolment in the school on 30 September of the previous year. This is in accordance with the agreement on staffing made between the Government and the INTO.
In the case of Our Lady of the Assumption senior girls national school, Walkinstown, there were 338 pupils enrolled on 30 September, 1991, which warrants a staff of Principal plus ten assistants for the 1992-93 school year. The school will also have the services of a full-time remedial teacher.
The post of eleventh assistant is to be discontinued with effect from 31 August, 1992, as the enrolment on 30 September, 1991 did not warrant its retention.