May I share my time with Deputy Ferris?
Adjournment Debate. - School Staffing.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
I thank you sincerely for allowing me to raise this life and death issue for two schools in South Tipperary — Shronnell and Newtown national schools. These schools have been two teacher schools for a number of years. Unfortunately, in the past week they received notification from the Department of Education that each school will lose its assistant teacher resulting in Shronnell and Newtown national schools becoming one teacher schools. The situation is devastating for the teachers, parents and the local communities.
In each area the schools are the lifeblood of the community which do not have traditional local villages. Many parents believe that once the schools are reduced to one teacher schools, it will be the beginning of the end. From an educational point of view, this is a poor strategy. It is unfair to expect a teacher to cope with seven different classes. In September 1996 Newtown national school had 20 students on the roll, three students short of the number required for two teachers. Because of that, the school was informed that it would lose its assistant. Yet in September 1997, it will have the required number of 23 students. There is no logic in having a school with 23 students and one teacher when it will have the numbers in September 1997 for two teachers. Shronnell national school will be two students short of the required number. Having one teacher schools is poor educational policy and it should be avoided.
It is unfair to expect a teacher to be the only person in charge in the school. We are living in an age when accusations are made and there is no other adult in the school to vindicate the teacher or to provide evidence if something serious happens. I fear what would happen if the teacher got sick or had to leave the school suddenly for family reasons. Who would take charge?
From an educational point of view and that of the students, I ask the Minister for Education to seriously consider allowing these two schools to keep their assistant teachers. If she accedes to this request, she will not only provide a better education for the students but will ensure the continuation of a vibrant rural community in these two areas. Parents are not impressed with one teacher schools and will move their children to schools which are closer or to those in Tipperary town. That will be the death-knell of the rural community. The parents, teachers and the community plead with the Minister for Education to allow those two schools to retain their assistant teachers in September 1997.
I thank Deputy Ahearn for allowing me to join her in expressing our concern. Deputy Ahearn did not overstate the facts. Although this Government reduced the pupil teacher ratio by three students in recent years, schools like Newtown and Shronnell national schools have slipped through the net and will find themselves with one teacher, which is unacceptable and inoperable. It could be the death-knell not only of the school but of the community.
These matters were raised with us in recent weeks by the teachers and parents because they were unaware of the figures decided on in September last year. Parents face the dilemma of making arrangements to move all their children from the schools, which would lead to their closure, or awaiting a decision by the Department and the Minister.
I had meetings with the Minister for Education in the past week on this subject and she asked that the schools, their boards of management and chairmen, and the teachers make a case in writing. I will present that case to the Minister tomorrow. I hope when their case is made that a review will take place of how these two schools slipped through the net. I hope the Minister of State will be positive in his response to this dilemma. This year's figures will improve somewhat.
Before I discuss the staffing at the two schools mentioned, I would like to draw the Deputies' attention to the manner in which the staffing allocation of primary schools is determined.
In accordance with an agreement made between the Government and the INTO, the staffing of a national school for any particular year is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous year. Arising from the agreement referred to above a staffing schedule is drafted annually. The schedule sets out the relevant enrolment which schools must have attained on 30 September of the previous year to qualify for extra staffing. Likewise, the schedule specifies the minimum enrolment required to have been attained to retain posts.
The staffing schedule has been amended for the 1997-8 school year. The retention figure for the first assistant teacher has been reduced from 25 to 23. Twelve schools which were due to lose their first assistant will retain their two teacher status because of this reduction. In addition, the Minister for Education has reduced from 28 to 25 the level of enrolment required to be achieved by a school to appoint its first assistant teacher. Unfortunately, however, irrespective of whatever improvements may have been effected to the staffing schedule, many schools would not have benefited because the decline in enrolments is so significant.
The enrolment at Newtown national school on 30 September 1996 was 22 pupils while the enrolment at Shronnell national school was 20 pupils. This enrolment warrants the staffing for the 1997-8 school year of a principal only for both schools. Therefore, the first assistant posts at both schools will be suppressed at the end of the current school year. The above agreement may be deviated from in two circumstances only: first, where the school experiences rapid growth in enrolment — broadly rapid growth is defined as an increases in enrolment in one year, relative to the previous year, of 25 pupils — and, second, where the school is in breach of a maximum class size guideline — a maximum class of 28 applies in the case of one-teacher schools with four or more standards. If the managerial authorities at Newtown national school and Shronnell national school are unable to manage the enrolment in September 1997 within the recommended guidelines mentioned above, it is open to the authorities to contact the Department on this matter.
The long-term survival of a national school is determined by rule 36 of the Rules for National Schools. That rule states that, inter alia, where there are fewer than eight pupils enrolled in a national school for two consecutive school years, the Department will cease to pay grants to the schools. Unless enrolment in the schools mentioned falls below eight pupils for the specified period, the Department will continue to recognise the two schools involved.