Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 15 Jun 1995

Vol. 454 No. 5

Remedial Teacher Appointment.

Mr. Kenneally

I am glad to have the opportunity to raise this extremely important matter for the school concerned. Not only does it deserve the services of a full-time remedial teacher it should be designated as disadvantaged. The provision of a home-school liaision teacher should also be considered. A number of schools in the area have been granted full-time remedial teachers and disadvantaged status, and I do not begrudge them that because they are in areas of need, but similar needs exist in the case of Scoil Lorcáin boys' national school. I cannot understand why this school still has only a part-time remedial teacher. That teacher was placed in 1980, before two local authority housing estates comprising about 300 houses were built in the area.

I first became involved in this matter when I was approached on 19 September 1990. At that time 36 pupils received tuition from the part-time remedial teacher. A further 33 pupils needed assistance but that was not possible, and the position has deteriorated since then. In 1990, 78 per cent of pupils in the school came from an unemployment background. That figure rose to 117 per cent in 1994. The number of pupils from unemployed and single parent families was 49 per cent in 1990, 50 per cent in 1991, 55 per cent in 1993 and 63 per cent in 1994. Almost two out of every three students in the school come from such a background. In addition those from families with five or more children comprise 17 per cent of the total number, 65 per cent of whom come from local authority houses. Two out of every three pupils come from local authority houses. I do not have the 1980 figures of pupils from those categories, but they were significantly lower than at present. Considering that a part-time remedial teacher was appointed in 1980 when the need was not nearly as great as it is now, it defies logic that a full time post cannot be sanctioned. Will the Minister ensure that in the appointment of remedial teachers, Scoil Lorcain should at the very least get the services of a full time remedial teacher?

I have further information on the school and background of some of the children but I am not at liberty to disclose it in public. However, if the Minister wishes I will give it to him privately. When teachers in this school hear announcements about other schools in Waterford city they believe they are being treated unfairly in that they cannot provide the same opportunities for their students. Accordingly, there is a case for those services to be made available to this school.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Mr. Allen)

The Deputy is no doubt aware that 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 an agreement on staffing entered into between the Government, the INTO and managerial authorities of primary schools.

The enrolment of Scoil Lorcáin boys' national school on 30 September 1994 was 285 pupils which warrants a staffing in the 1995-96 school year of a principal and nine assistants. Additionally, the school has the services of a remedial teacher on a shared basis.

Deviations from this agreement are permitted if a school is in breach of maximum class size guidelines. I am introducing new maximum class size guidelines effective from 1 September 1995 which are as follows: 35 in the case of single grade class group, 34 in the case of a class group with two consecutive grades and 31 in the case of a multi-grade class group. Additionally, a maximum class size guideline of 29 applies in schools which are designated as disadvantaged and a maximum class size guideline of 28 applies in the case of one teacher school. Deviations are also permitted when a school achieves a substantial growth minimum of 25 pupils in the case of schools with an enrolment below 298 and 30 in the case of a school with an enrolment of 299 or over.

If the board of management of Scoil Lorcáin boys' national school consider that its school fulfils the criteria I have outlined in 1 and 2 above, it is open to the board to make a direct application to my Department for additional staffing.

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 under achievement in primary schools.

Furthermore, sanction was recently given for an additional 55 remedial posts. Of the 75 ordinary national schools in County Waterford, 54 now have the services of a remedial teacher, either on a full-time or shared basis. The post recently allocated means that 82 per cent of pupils attending ordinary national schools in County Waterford currently enjoy a remedial service.

I am aware that the school in question has applied for inclusion in the disadvantaged areas scheme. Under present arrangements schools are selected for inclusion in the disadvantaged areas scheme on the basis of a range of socioeconomic criteria agreed some years ago between my Department, the managerial authorities of primary schools and the Irish National Teachers' Organisation. Factors taken into account include the incidence of unemployment, local authority housing and medical card holders among the parents of the children concerned. Account is also taken of the views of my Department's inspectorate on the relative levels of need between applicant schools and the prevailing pupil teacher ratio.

Data under these headings is collected from applicant schools and, having regard to available resources, schools are then selected for inclusion in the scheme. The criteria used to determine eligibility for inclusion in the disadvantaged areas scheme is the subject of a study being carried out at my request by the Combat Poverty Agency. The problem outlined by Deputy Kenneally has been ongoing for the last eight or nine years. The Deputy expressed amazement that the school has not been treated the way he believes it should, but I remind him that a Fianna Fáil Minister was in office for seven of those years. We are now trying to deal with this matter and I expect to receive a report on the outcome of the Combat Poverty Agency studies by the middle of this year. That will provide a basis for the development of future approaches in this area. This matter will be given priority. The needs of all applicant schools will be considered in the context of any extension of the disadvantaged areas scheme.