Vol. 461 No. 7
33 Miss Coughlan asked the Minister for Education the concerns, if any, she has with the shortage of trained substitute teachers in the primary education sector; and the proposals, if any, she has to address this problem in 1996. [3783/96]
While I share the Deputy's concern that primary schools in some areas have recently experienced difficulties in securing the services of trained substitute teachers, I would remind the Deputy that, since I took office, I have increased substantially the number of entrants into colleges of education each year. Furthermore, in January 1995 I introduced a special 18-month post graduate course for 180 students in the colleges of education. All this will mean that a total of over 600 newly-qualified teachers will be available for employment in schools this September, 335 more than last year.
The initiatives outlined above, together with the projected reduction in overall pupil enrolments at primary level — from over 478,000 at present to approximately 444,000 in 1998-99 — will alleviate the difficulties in September and will give rise to a surplus of teachers in subsequent years. I am satisfied, therefore, that the present difficulties are of a temporary nature only.
The Minister indicated this is a temporary problem. Irrespective of that, will she not agree that it is totally unsatisfactory for any principal, board of management or manager to find it almost impossible to find trained teachers and to have to resort to students and retired teachers? I congratulate her on the initiative she took in 1995 in regard to the graduate programme. Will she consider continuing that programme for a number of years to address this problem?
There is evidence that substitute teachers are being increasingly used in the system. We created 980 additional posts, 570 to cater for special and disadvantaged education and 410 to effect improvements in the PTR. Given that more teachers are taking optional early retirement and career breaks or are seconded for in-service training, and the school going population falling at a rate of 10,000 per year, it is appropriate to plan to provide extra teachers. There will be 335 more trained teachers in September. More graduate teachers will come out of the training colleges in June.
On the shortage of available trained substitutes at this time of the year, and if I would continue to supply graduate training places each year since I became Minister we increased the number of entrants into training colleges, the graduate training programme and the recognition of teachers from Northern Ireland — who may have been registered as untrained until the introduction of the scrúdú cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge. There will not be the shortage of teachers or trained substitutes we are experiencing six months before an extra 335 teachers come on stream.
I am totally unhappy with that reply. In my constituency there are untrained teachers with yearly contracts who cannot be investigated by the cigire from the Department. We talk about standards, but it is ridiculous that we have no way of assessing them. There is no logic in preventing people from graduating from training colleges. There are many disappointed applicants for the H.Dip. programme and so on. I do not see why the excellent graduate diploma programme in St. Patrick's College should not continue. Will the Minister give her opinion on the substitute panels which have been in operation on a pilot basis? Is there any possibility of extending them?
The first part of the question refers to management. We have to manage our resources well. When one looks at the demographic figures one sees the striking decline in the number of children entering the education system. There are 478,000 pupils in 1995-96 but by 1998-99 that will have declined to 444,000. Therefore, there will be a surplus of primary teachers. I have to be careful to ensure that we do not return to the situation which existed under earlier Administrations whereby wonderfully trained teachers could not get full time jobs.
The current situation partly results from my success in retaining posts which would have normally been surplus to requirements due to the demographic decline, by creating additional posts for the disadvantaged, special education and to address the PTR. Next September, as a result of measures taken in the last three years, there will be 335 more teachers than there would otherwise have been. That is partly as a result of the graduate group and the recognition of teachers trained in Northern Ireland and the European Union. We have to wait to see the effect of that on the availability of posts.
The Deputy mentioned the supply panel, which has been very satisfactory. There is every reason to examine the possibility of extending it which will affect the supply and availability of teachers. The embargo on public sector recruitment has to be taken into consideration. The project was set up in 1993 on a temporary basis in Ballyvaughan, Finglas, Limerick and north Mayo and has been very successful. The reaction of all the partners to it has been very positive and we will have to look at the possibility of extending it throughout the country.
I repeat for those who are concerned about the shortage of substitute teachers that next June there will be an extra influx of teachers, which will alleviate the problem. In future years there will be a surplus in teacher numbers. There will be no need for people to repeat the post-graduate course.
I remind the Minister that previous Administrations had a key role to play in the retention of teachers surplus to requirements. During the time of the Programme for National Recovery and the Programme for Economic and Social Progress the principle was established of retaining teachers to reduce the parent teacher ratio. The problem of substitute teachers is particularly acute in rural Ireland. A report commissioned by the Combat Poverty Agency and the Department of Education, published prior to Christmas, illustrates the degree to which there is major disadvantage in rural primary education and states that 70 per cent of all disadvantaged pupils reside in remote rural locations. It is clear from that report that in rural schools, particularly one and two teacher schools, it is difficult to secure professionally trained substitute teachers at short notice. Has the Minister specific proposals to alleviate the problem of substitute teachers, particularly in small rural primary schools, by providing additional support and services?
The report referred to by the Deputy was commissioned by me because I was concerned about disadvantage in rural areas and there was need for re-examination of the factors used in defining disadvantage. The report is under active consideration and I will respond in a very positive way to proposals put forward by the Combat Poverty Agency. There will be extra teachers in the system in June. The shortage of substitute teachers is not a Twenty-six County phenomenon; some areas are affected more than others. Under the new rules relating to teachers trained in Northern Ireland it is expected that there will be a surplus of teachers in Border areas, but I cannot envisage that a teacher available for substitution in one part of the country would move to an area where the problem of substitution is more acute. I think the Deputy's question arose from concern about facilities available to smaller rural schools. I reassure him that I share his concern. I will soon be in a position to bring forward proposals as a positive response to the need for such facilities, recognising in particular the difficulties in small rural schools.
The Minister has referred repeatedly to Northern teachers working here. Has she proposals on how the Irish language will be retained as part of the primary level curriculum, particularly in small schools, in circumstances where teachers have no proficiency in the Irish language?
We have wandered away from the question of substitution. I remind the Deputy that last year I announced that teachers trained in the primary school system in Northern Ireland, or in the EU, who have recognised qualifications may become involved in the school system here for two years while completing the scrúdú cáinníochta sa Ghaeilge. These people will have to receive a qualification in Irish. Under the present system of substitution teachers who hold qualifications outside the State are paid as unqualified teachers. It is difficult to say how many teachers will take part in this scheme. We imagine it will be availed of more in the northern counties than in the most southern countries. There is an obligation on teachers who move into the Irish system to obtain a qualification in Irish. Details of the scheme are being worked out and will be made available.
