Vol. 435 No. 10
33 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Education the number of inservice courses organised by her Department for primary teachers in 1993; the number of teachers who participated in the courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
58 Mr. Harte asked the Minister for Education the number of inservice courses organised by her Department for primary teachers in 1993; the number of teachers who participated in the courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
84 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Minister for Education the number of inservice courses organised by her Department for primary teachers in 1993; the number of teachers who participated in the courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 58 and 84 together.
My Department was directly involved in the organisation and delivery of 13 courses during the summer of 1993. A total of 394 teachers participated in those courses. In line with the recommendations of the Primary Education Review Body, the role of the Department inspectorate in the direct organisation and delivery of in-service courses was significantly reduced in 1993. The Review Body also recommended that for the most part the inspectors' role should be one of co-ordination and monitoring rather than direct provision. In this regard my Department approved 465 such courses during 1993. While final figures on participation on these courses are not available as yet, it is expected that approximately 11,000 teachers would have participated.
The Deputy may also be aware that an In-service Committee was established in 1992. Following consultation with interested parties, this committee decided on priority areas for in-service.
