Vol. 521 No. 3
160 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Science if, in view of the fact that 33 boys have enrolled in the second year school for September 2000 in a school (details supplied) in County Dublin and another pupil for sixth year, he will give the reason the school should lose a teacher as it will take another 12 months before a replacement is appointed. [16998/00]
The staffing of a primary school for a particular year is determined by reference to the number of pupils enrolled in the school on 30 September of the previous year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule, which is determined annually following discussions with the managerial authorities and the Irish National Teachers Organisation.
The current staffing of this particular school is a principal and five mainstream class teachers based on an enrolment of 165 at 30 September 1998. The enrolment at 30 September 1999, on which the staffing for the 2000-01 school year is based, was 138. As the enrolment requirement for the retention of the fifth teacher is 150, I regret that this post must be suppressed at the end of the current school year.
Officials of my Department have also examined this school's position in relation to its developing status. Sanction of a developing school post is conditional on a school satisfying specific criteria. A school which has less than 298 pupils is required to increase its enrolment by 25 pupils in one school year relative to the previous school year, and must exceed the point at which the next assistant's post is due to the school by a minimum of five pupils. Correspondence from the school has shown a projected enrolment of 153 for September 2000, which, unfortunately, is insufficient for the appointment of a developing school post.
