Vol. 474 No. 6
184 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education, further to her reply to Parliamentary Question No. 108 of 29 May 1996, if a teacher at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 10 who is due to go on the transfer panel, arising from a fall in numbers, could undergo a remedial maths course; and if a remedial maths teacher will be sanctioned for this school. [3739/97]
The staffing of primary schools for a particular year is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous year.
The staffing allocations for primary schools for the 1997 school year have not yet been determined. However, there has been a substantial drop in enrolments at the school in question between September 1995 and September 1996, and, in the circumstances, it is likely that at least one post will be suppressed at the school in June 1997.
As I informed the Deputy in my reply to Question No. 108 of 29 May 1996, the school to which he refers already has the full-time services of a remedial teacher. In addition, as part of an unofficial local arrangement, an assistant teacher at the school has been deployed as a remedial mathematics teacher.
The national programme of training in remedial education for teachers of first and second level pupils is only available to teachers in permanent posts who are fully probated and are employed as teachers in officially designated remedial posts. It is not possible for the teacher in question to attend the course, as she is not employed in such a capacity. I am not in a position at present to allocate additional remedial teacher posts to primary schools. In the event of further remedial teacher posts becoming available for allocation, the needs of the school in question will be fully considered.
