I wish to share my time with Deputy Connaughton.
Adjournment Debate. - Remedial Teacher Appointment.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
Seven weeks ago a local parents committee asked me to raise this matter and I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to do so. I also thank the Minister for coming to the House and for the action she has taken in regard to remedial education during her time in office. The 1992 Programme for Government undertook to appoint 500 extra remedial teachers and in 1993, 86 extra remedial teachers were appointed to primary schools while last year a further 100 remedial teachers were appointed. Last year in my constituency of East Galway four extra remedial posts were allocated to 17 primary schools.
I ask the Minister to consider the appointment of a remedial teacher to the schools to which I referred. She appointed a resource teacher who is based in Mountbellew and who also covers the school in Moylough. This appointment has been welcomed and will be of benefit to the six local schools. I appeal to the Minister to appoint a remedial teacher to Mountbellew, Moylough, Cooloo and Briarfield national schools so that the pupils can receive a basic primary education. It was originally proposed to appoint a remedial teacher for three of the schools but it was felt that the proposal would have a better chance of succeeding if there were four schools involved. Briarfield national school was, therefore, added, giving an enrolment of more than 400 pupils in four schools. The Minister said she will announce the appointment of an additional 55 remedial teachers in 1995, bringing the total up to 1,188. I appeal to her to include the four schools to which I referred in her allocation of remedial teachers. This proposal has the support of the boards of management of the schools involved, local parents' committees, public representatives and, more importantly, the primary inspectorate.
The Minister will probably say that a remedial teacher will be eventually appointed to the four schools, but I hope the teacher is appointed in 1995. This is an urgent matter and I am sure Deputy Connaughton will support the points I made.
I thank my colleague, Deputy Kitt, for his generosity in sharing time with me. I stress the importance of assigning a remedial teacher to the Mountbellew, Moylough, Cooloo and Briarfield national schools. I thank the Minister for the importance she places on helping children with learning difficulties. Her remedial teaching initiative will repay the State a thousandfold in many diverse ways. It will also send a positive signal to hard pressed parents who desperately wish their children to have the best opportunities in life and will show that the State is willing to help. Schools that already have the services of a remedial teacher report great progress.
My neighbours in Mountbellew, Moylough, Cooloo and Briarfield are sincere in their efforts to have a remedial teacher assigned to those schools. Will the Minister ensure that such a teacher is made available in the near future? I thank her for appointing a resource teacher who covers Mountbellew and Moylough schools. This has alleviated the concerns of many parents in the area. I hope we get a similar response to the appointment of a remedial teacher.
I thank Deputy Kitt for giving me the opportunity to outline my Department's position on the appointment of remedial teachers.
As has been indicated to the House in the past, remedial education at primary level is a matter in the first instance for the ordinary class teachers. The majority of pupils with remedial needs would, therefore, be helped within the scope of the normal teaching service.
However, it is acknowledged that remedial teachers constitute the main additional resource for addressing the problem of underachievement in primary schools. Substantial additional resources have been allocated to this area in recent years. In 1994, an additional 100 remedial teachers were appointed to primary schools and 350 schools, with approximately 34,000 pupils, benefited from this allocation. This brought the total number of remedial teachers in place to 1,133. Of the 3,209 ordinary national schools throughout the country, approximately 2,061 now have the services of a remedial teacher, either on a full-time or on a shared basis.
I recently announced my intention to appoint an additional 55 remedial teachers in the current year. Decisions on the allocation of these posts will be made shortly following the collection and analysis of information from schools by the Department's primary inspectorate. The posts will then be allocated on the basis of priority of need, as indicated by the information collected.
Of the 237 ordinary national schools in County Galway, 121 now have the services of a remedial teacher, either on a full-time or shared basis. This includes 26 schools allocated a remedial service in the current school year as part of the recent distribution of posts. This means that 67 per cent of pupils attending ordinary national schools in County Galway currently enjoy a remedial service.
I assure the Deputies that the needs of Mountbellew, Moylough, Cooloo and Briarfield national schools will be considered in the context of the allocation of remedial posts in 1995. I thank them for acknowledging the appointment of a resource teacher to their area, a post to which they were entitled. I am glad the children are benefiting as a result.