Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 26 May 1998

Vol. 491 No. 3

Written Answers. - Teaching Posts.

Andrew Boylan

Question:

471 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Education and Science whether a fifth teacher will be retained at St Bridgid's national school, Killoughter, Redhills, County Cavan in view of the high number of children attending there; whether the number of children and class groupings for the school for the years 1998-99 and 1999-2000 with four teachers is too high to ensure that each child receives the standard of education that they are entitled to; and if he will give a commitment to the retention of the fifth teacher so that all children will receive the individual attention they should get and weak pupils will not lose out. [11770/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

A teaching post at the school to which the Deputy refers will be lost at the end of the current school year because the enrolment at the school declined from 127 pupils in September 1996 to 114 pupils in September 1997. The retention figure for the fourth teaching post at the school is 122.

In the absence of the projected enrolment figures at the school for the years 1998-9 and 1999-2000, I am not in a position to comment on the pupil-teacher ratio which is likely to prevail at the school for these years. However, unless the school experiences a significant increase in enrolment, classes should be capable of being organised within maximum class size guidelines. The school has the services of a remedial teacher.