Vol. 475 No. 5
164 Miss de Valera asked the Minister for Education the plans, if any, she has to increase the intake into the colleges of education in September 1997, as a positive step towards reducing the number of unqualified personnel currently doing substitute work in primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5407/97]
Since I took office, I have increased substantially each year the number of trainee teachers admitted to the colleges of education for primary teachers. The intake for September 1996 was 500, and in early 1997 a further 150 places were provided in a special 18 months post-graduate teaching training course.
On a general basis, the intake of trainee primary teachers to the colleges of education is closely allied to movements in the pupil-teacher ratio, the number of teachers retiring or otherwise leaving the teaching profession, and the number of teachers taking career breaks. Projections for a number of these variables are not yet available.
When these projections have been finalised, decisions will be made on the number of trainee teachers to be admitted to the colleges of education in September 1997.
