Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 20 Oct 1998

Vol. 495 No. 4

Written Answers. - School Staffing.

John Perry

Question:

411 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that, of the total number of 204 pupils in schools (details supplied), 40 pupils are in need of remedial care; when a remedial teacher will be appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20303/98]

Seymour Crawford

Question:

413 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Education and Science when a remedial teacher will be appointed to Scoil Cholmcille, Blackstaff, Carrickmacross, and St. Daig's national school, Inniskeen, County Monaghan; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a large number of pupils needing extra help as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20305/98]

Liz McManus

Question:

420 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Education and Science if a second remedial teacher will provided for the Stratford-on-Slaney national school in west Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20394/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 411, 413 and 420 together.

My Department has not been advised of the details of the 40 pupils referred to by Deputy Perry. The schools should send in to my Department the results of the standardised literacy and/or numeracy tests carried out on the pupils in question. This information will be fully considered when additional posts of remedial teacher become available for allocation.

My capacity to allocate additional remedial teacher posts in any given year is dependent on resource availability and the level of competing demand from other special needs areas. I recently allocated 60 remedial teacher posts to national schools with effect from September 1998. There are now 1,302 remedial teacher posts in place in national schools.

I will continue to review needs in this area. In the event of additional remedial teacher posts becoming available for allocation, the needs of all schools, including the schools in question, will be fully considered.

Andrew Boylan

Question:

412 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Education and Science when his Department will sanction a third teacher for Castletara national school, County Cavan; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that one teacher has four junior classes consisting of 33 pupils and the principal has 26 pupils. [20304/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

The staffing of a national school for a particular year is determined by the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous year.

The enrolment at Castletara national school on 30 September 1997 was 53 pupils. This enrolment warrants a staffing of a principal and one assistant teacher for the 1998-99 school year.

The above arrangement may be deviated from in cases where the school's enrolment is such that it cannot be organised without breaching the guidelines on maximum class size. However, the information which is available to my Department does not suggest that this is the case in Castletara national school. In the circumstances, I regret there is no basis whereby a third teacher may be sanctioned for this school at present.