Written Answers. - School Staffing.
Dick Spring
Question:
141
Mr. Spring
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
if, further to his promise to allocate an additional 200 teachers in September 2000, he will state the reason he has not honoured this commitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26533/00]
I take it that the Deputy is referring to my plans for a major new initiative to address the needs of pupils who are encountering educational disadvantage in primary schools.
I have set the tackling of educational disadvantage as a priority for my Department. My objective is to introduce a range of significant and specifically targeted interventions, which will ensure that disadvantaged children receive the support they require to enable them to succeed in school. The interventions in question will take the form of extra teacher support or extra funding, or both, depending on the nature and level of need identified. To this end, I will be allocating 200 extra new teaching posts to primary schools shortly.
The background to this initiative is that, earlier this year, all primary schools were invited to participate in a survey of educational disadvantage. The Educational Research Centre issued a comprehensive questionnaire to all schools, together with guidance on its completion. The closing date for the return of the questionnaires was extended following representations from schools and others in this regard. The ERC and my Department provided clarification to schools in relation to particular aspects of the questionnaire, where this was requested. In some cases, delay arose because it was also necessary to obtain clarification concerning data supplied by schools.
The analysis by the ERC of the responses received has now been completed and will be provided to me shortly. The survey identifies those schools that have significant concentrations of pupils with background characteristics associated with educational disadvantage and early school leaving. I will allocate the 200 new teaching posts and make grant allocations to the schools identified shortly.
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:
142
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
the number of schools, primary or second level, in respect of which difficulties have emerged in regard to the provision of adequate teaching staff; the plans he has to cater for such needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26458/00]
I am aware that a number of primary schools are experiencing some difficulties in recruiting fully qualified teachers.
Primary teachers are appointed by boards of management of the individual schools and accordingly I do have information in regard to the number of schools experiencing difficulties.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a range of measures have been introduced by this Government to boost substantially the supply of trained primary teachers and alleviate the difficulty.
The total intake to the colleges of education for primary teaching in the 1999-2000 academic year was 1,283. This compares with an intake of 500 in 1996-97.
There are approximately 1,000 students again enrolled in the first year of the undergraduate training course in the 2000-01 academic year. A further post graduate course will commence early in 2001 with a proposed intake of 280 students.
It is projected that the intake to the undergraduate training course for primary teachers will continue at the current level of 1,000 for the 2001-02 academic year.
Between the 2000 and 2001 academic years it is projected that approximately 1,900 qualified primary teachers will graduate from the colleges of education. This represents a huge increase in the number of trained graduates as compared with 1995 when 291 graduated.
A number of other initiatives to reduce the number of untrained personnel have also been introduced. B.Ed graduates of St. Mary's College, Belfast, who have studied Irish to honours level as an academic subject as part of their teaching qualification are now recognised as fully qualified.
Since September 1998, all primary degree holders who hold the higher diploma in education are paid as fully trained substitute teachers. In the current academic year persons employed in a temporary capacity holding a degree and the higher diploma in education are paid on the trained basic scale for teachers.
Teachers trained in EU countries employed in primary schools are now remunerated at the trained rate pending their obtaining the necessary competence in the Irish language. EU trained teachers previously had to acquire the necessary competence in the Irish language within three years of their first appointment to a primary school. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that EU trained teachers now have up to five years to obtain the necessary competence in the language.
Montessori trained teachers who successfully completed the course of three years duration at St. Nicholas, Dún Laoghaire and the AMI which is recognised by the National Council for Educational Awards are also recognised as being fully qualified substitute teachers.
The decision to recognise fully qualified teachers who trained outside the State to teach in certain categories of schools and classes without the necessity to hold an Irish language qualification is also contributing to an improvement in the supply of trained primary teachers.
An additional 1,000 posts are being created at second level in the current school year. A proportion of these posts are being utilised to facili tate the reduction in the pupil teacher ratio for appointment purposes from 19:1 to 18:1. The remainder of the posts are being targeted at particular programmes such as the leaving certificate applied and the junior certificate school programme and the stay in school retention initiative.
A further 200 posts will be allocated in each of the next two school years in accordance with the provisions of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.
It is open to the authorities of individual second level schools to apply to my Department for a concessionary increase in the approved teacher allocation to cater for particular difficulties within the school. Each such application is considered in the context of available resources and having regard to the existing provision within the school in question.
Apart from those posts which are allocated to a school in respect of a specific programme or service, it is a matter for the school authority concerned to determine how the teaching resources are to be utilised having regard to the curricular and other needs of the pupils in the school. Similarly, where a vacancy arises, it is a matter for the school authority to decide on the subject areas to be catered for.
My Department is not aware of any second level school that has not filled its approved teacher allocation for the current school year.
