Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2001

Vol. 529 No. 1

Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.

John Bruton

Question:

1309 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the ex-quota allocation in respect of remedial and guidance classes as currently set for second level schools in County Meath; the proposals he has to expand and improve the ex-quota allocations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2446/01]

The ex-quota allocations to individual second level schools in respect of remedial education and guidance for a particular school year are determined by the enrolment in the school at the end of the preceding September.

With regard to remedial education, all schools in the free education scheme have an entitlement to an ex-quota allocation in respect of remedial education since the beginning of the 1999/00 school year. The general position is that schools with enrolments of 600 or more pupils are allocated a full post; schools with enrolments below 600 pupils are allocated 0.5 of a post. However, schools with enrolments below 600 which were specifically allocated a full post in respect of remedial education by my Department prior to the 1999/00 school year retain their entitlement to an allocation of a full post.

In the case of guidance, the allocation varies between two wholetime teacher equivalents, 44 hours per week, in the case of schools with enrolments of 1,000 or more pupils, to a minimum allocation of 0.36 wholetime teacher equivalents, eight hours per week, in the case of schools with less than 200 pupils.

In the school year 2000/01 the ex-quota allocations to second level schools in County Meath in respect of remedial education and guidance are 14 wholetime teacher equivalents and 13.94 wholetime teacher equivalents respectively.

The question of increasing the ex-quota allocations in respect of remedial education and guidance will be considered in the context of available resources and having regard to the report of the expert group on teacher allocations which is expected to be available in the near future.

Top
Share