Jim Higgins
Question:112 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education the number of pupils in primary schools as of 30 September 1991 who were enrolling in sixth class for the second time.
Written Answers. - School Repeat Pupils.
Jim Higgins
Question:113 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education if he will give details of the reduction in teacher numbers which has been estimated will result from his decision to refuse recognition for teacher employment purposes to sixth class primary school repeat pupils.
Jim Higgins
Question:114 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education the amount of finance which it has been estimated will be saved by his decision to refuse recognition for pupil/teacher ratio and teacher employment/appointment purposes of the pupils repeating sixth class.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 112, 113 and 114 together.
Statistics supplied to my Department by primary schools, relating to enrolment on 30 September 1991, indicates that 1,898 pupils were enrolled in sixth class for the second time.
The exclusion of pupils repeating sixth class in reckoning a school's enrolment for staffing purposes does not necessarily result in the loss of a teaching post, or refusal for an additonal appointment. The appointment and retention of teachers is governed by an enrolments schedule and, depending on where a school's enrolment figure occurs on the schedule, exclusion of the pupils in question may have no effect on the number of teachers warranted in the school.
Under the provisions of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress over-all teacher numbers during the Programme are related to the national pupil/teacher ratio. Accordingly, the schedule governing teacher appointments is adjusted so that numbers of posts being reduced are matched by numbers of posts added.
My Department does not keep separate statistics on the number of cases of the kind referred to by the Deputy occurring in any given school year. However, the number of schools affected is small.