Mildred Fox
Question:42 Miss Fox asked the Minister for Education and Science if a remedial teacher will be provided for Talbotstown national school, Kiltegan, County Wicklow. [5803/00]
Written Answers. - School Staffing.
The school to which the Deputy refers is in receipt of a remedial teaching service.
Since September 1999 the remedial teaching service has been extended to all primary schools with a pupil-teacher ratio of 10:1 or above. Schools with lower pupil-teacher ratios may also seek remedial support from my Department where the level of their particular need warrants such a service.
The special education review committee recommended that the general criteria for establishing remedial need should relate to pupils who have been identified as being below the 10th percentile in standardised tests in basic numeracy and literacy. The committee also recommended that the caseload of a remedial teacher catering for a single school should be 40 pupils. Where a remedial teacher is providing a service for a group of schools, the special education committee recommended that the caseload be reduced by two for each school in the cluster additional to the base school, subject to a maximum reduction of eight pupils.
The school to which the Deputy refers shares its remedial service with four other schools in the area. This is a common arrangement where schools with small enrolments are involved. The combined enrolment of the five schools is 313 pupils. At such a level of enrolment, the remedial service available to the school is considered to be reasonable and in line with the general operation of the service. The needs of the school in question will be fully considered in the event of additional resources becoming available to improve existing remedial services.