Brian O'Shea
Question:399 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science the proposals, if any, he has to provide an extra teacher at Scoil Naomh Bríd, Redhills, County Cavan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22338/98]
Written Answers. - School Staffing.
As the Deputy may be aware, 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 St. Brigid's national school on 30 September 1997 was 114 pupils, which warrants a staffing of a principal and three assistant teachers for the 1998-99 school year. These arrangements may be deviated from if a school is in breach of maximum class sizes guidelines, which are as follows: 35 in the case of a single-grade class group; 34 in the case of a class-group with two consecutive grades; and 31 in the case of a multi-grade class group.
The school authorities have advised my Department that there are 125 pupils enrolled in the school since September 1998. Since this enrolment can be managed within the maximum class size guidelines, I regret that there is no basis for the appointment of an additional teacher at the school for the 1998-99 school year.
Brian O'Shea
Question:400 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science the proposals, if any, he has to provide remedial teachers for Garranbane, Coolnasmear, Kilbrien, Baile Mhic Airt and Scoil Gharbháin primary schools in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22339/98]
Austin Deasy
Question:413 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Education and Science if Coolnasmear, Garranbane, Kilbrien, Scoil Gharbháin and Ballymacart national schools, County Waterford, with a total of approximately 400 students, are allowed access to a remedial teacher; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22471/98]
Austin Deasy
Question:417 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of remedial teachers, resource teachers and education psychologists appointed to all national schools in the country and Waterford city and county in 1998. [22509/98]
Austin Deasy
Question:419 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of remedial teachers recommended for the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22511/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 400, 413, 417 and 419 together.
I am aware of the situation with regard to the schools mentioned by the Deputies. 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. There were 60 remedial teacher posts and 26 resource teacher posts allocated to national schools in 1998. Unfortunately, the number of schools seeking the appointment of a remedial teacher considerably exceeded the number of posts available for allocation. There were no remedial or resource teacher posts allocated to County Waterford in 1998. An additional 15 psychologists took up duty in 1998 as part of a development project to expand the service to primary schools. They are employed under this project for a period of three years, and the project will be evaluated. There are currently no educational psychologists allocated to national schools in County Waterford.
At present there are 1,302 ex-quota remedial teacher posts allocated to primary schools and 350 ex-quota remedial teacher posts allocated to second-level schools. The report of the Special Education Review Committee recommended that one teacher should be appointed for every forty pupils in need of remedial teaching. On this basis, approximately 105 remedial teacher posts are required at primary level and 130 remedial teacher posts are required at second level.
John Perry
Question:402 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the serious problems that exist at St. Enda's national school, Carraroe, County Sligo, where the pupil-teacher ratio is high; his views on whether the method of calculating this ratio is accurate; his further views on the removal of the remedial and resource teacher; the plans, if any, he has to deal with this problem; when a decision will be made in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22341/98]
As the Deputy may be aware, 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 St. Enda's national school on 30 September 1997 was 338 pupils, which warrants a staffing of a principal and 11 teachers for the 1998-99 school year. The school also has the services of a remedial teacher and a resource teacher for travellers. The above arrangements may be deviated from if a school is in breach of maximum class sizes guidelines, which are as follows: 35 in the case of a single-grade class group; 34 in the case of a class-group with two consecutive grades; and 31 in the case of a multi-grade class group.
Where there is a breach of the above guidelines, the board of management is obliged to contact my Department early in the school year, and in any event not later than 1 November. Since no such correspondence has been received from the board of management of St. Enda's, I regret that there is no basis for sanctioning an extra teacher. On the Deputy's reference to the removal of the posts of remedial and resource teacher for travellers from this school, I am happy to confirm that my Department has not withdrawn either of these posts.