Michael D. Higgins
Question:35 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science the position in relation to single teacher primary schools. [7808/99]
Priority Questions. - Single Teacher Schools.
An Action Programme for the Millennium contains a commitment to give primary education a clear priority in the allocation of resources. The programme specified that all one teacher schools with ten or more pupils would be allocated a second teacher.
I began the process of implementing this commitment soon after taking up office. In the 1997-98 school year, a one teacher school needed a minimum enrolment of 25 pupils before it could gain title to its second post. From 1 September 1998 I reduced this figure to 18. Consequently, 25 one teacher schools have been allowed their second teaching post from the start of the current school year. The retention figure for the withdrawal of the first teaching post in the 1997-98 school year was 23 pupils. I reduced this figure to 18 from 1 September 1998, with the result that 28 schools continue to operate in the current school year as two teacher units.
In addition, I allowed 14 schools, which had enrolments below 18 pupils, to continue to operate in the current school year as two teacher units. In total, therefore, in the current school year alone, a total of 67 schools have benefited from my determination to support one teacher schools.
The Deputy will also be aware from my recent announcement that I am introducing additional measures in the 1999-2000 school year which are designed to further improve the position of one teacher schools and which will benefit 50 schools. Specifically, I am reducing the number of pupils required to appoint a second teacher from its existing level of 18 to 14. As a consequence of this initiative, 22 existing one teacher schools will become two teacher units from 1 September 1999.
Additionally, by reducing the figure for the retention of the second teacher from 18 to 14 pupils, 21 existing two teacher schools will continue to operate in the 1999-2000 school year as two teacher units.
I have further indicated that seven schools, which are currently two teacher units but which have an enrolment below 14 pupils, will also continue to operate in the 1999-2000 school year as two teacher units.
While the above initiatives clearly demonstrate this Government's commitment to one teacher schools, I assure the Deputy that within the lifetime of this Government all schools with ten or more pupils will have a second teaching post.
While I am grateful to the Minister for his extensive reply and his determination, I am really more interested in his pre-election commitment to provide a second teacher in schools with an enrolment of ten or more. Perhaps he might indicate how many schools with between ten and 14 pupils are currently in negotiations with his Department and how many one teacher schools are on islands. Comh maith leis sin cé mhéid de na scoileanna atá sna Gaeltachtaí éagsúla atá faoi bhun an uas-teora 10 ndalta?
Níl na figiúirí atá á lorg ag an Teacha go cruinn agam ach táim beagnach cinnte go bhfuil beirt oide ag gach scoil oileáin anois ach is féidir liom seiceáil a dhéanamh ar sin. Tá scéim faoi leith ag baint leis na hoileáin.
We estimate that the number of one teacher schools in the year 1999-2000 after the initiative we have outlined will be circa 50. There will be seven new schools coming on stream. Of that 50, a number will have below ten pupils but I do not have the exact figure yet.
The reality is that depending on how the Minister answers the question I am among those who will congratulate him on his achievement, but the test is not the 25 that he begins with but the ten he promised. Is he saying no school with ten or more pupils that currently has a second teacher will lose the second teacher?
Yes.
That is welcome. Do I take it from the question I asked in the first language that no island school will be at a disadvantage?
That is my intention. No island school will be without a teacher.
How many schools with an enrolment under 14 will lose a teacher? Schools moving from an enrolment of 14 to 10 are feeling insecure about the retention of, or the aspiration to acquire, a second teacher. How many are currently negotiating with the Department?
I do not have that information with me, but I will get the figure and send it to the Deputy.
I welcome that.
The Deputy is asking how many schools with an enrolment under 14 will be under ten the following year. We do not know that because it will depend on the enrolment on 30 September next.
I would not regard it as a great test for the Department to make an estimate.
One family relocating next September could make a difference between an enrolment of 16, 19 and 10. A school with an enrolment of 14 could have 19 pupils next year if a family relocates. As of 1999-2000 there will be 50 one teacher schools. Of that number I will find out how many have an enrolment under 10 and I will submit that information to the Deputy. We are well on the way to meeting the commitment given and I am confident that we will have achieved it by the following September, well before the lifetime of the Government is over.