Gerry Reynolds
Question:452 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will allow Our Lady of Mercy primary school, County Sligo retain a second teaching post under the urban cycle for disadvantage scheme. [13647/01]
Written Answers - School Staffing.
John Perry
Question:471 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will give a commitment that the one teaching post under the urban cycle for disadvantage will be retained at Our Lady of Mercy national school, Sligo with effect from 31 August 2001; if he will sanction the concessionary post in view of the school's disadvantaged status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13767/01]
I propose to take Question Nos. 452 and 471 together.
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 that is formulated for a particular year following discussions with the managerial authorities and the INTO.
The current staffing of this particular school is a principal and 19 mainstream class teachers based on an enrolment of 564 pupils at 30 September 1999. The school has also been allocated a disadvantaged concessionary teaching post in addition to three learning support teachers, three resource teachers for the Traveller community, two resource teachers for special needs pupils and one shared home-school-community liaison co-ordinators. On the basis of an enrolment of 543 pupils as at 30 September 2000 these posts will be retained for the 2001-02 school year.
The Deputies will be aware of the new programme, Giving Children an Even Break, to tackle educational disadvantage which was launched by me in January of this year. The new programme has both an urban and rural dimension and the school in question is included in the urban dimension of the programme. Under the urban dimension of the new programme, I am committed to supporting schools with the highest concentrations of disadvantaged pupils in the maintenance of maximum class sizes of 20:1 in junior classes, infants through second class, and 29:1 in senior classes, third through sixth class, over the three year period.
In line with normal staffing arrangements for national schools, teacher post allocations for the purpose of the new programme in respect of the current school year were determined by reference to enrolments in junior and senior classes at 30 September 1999. In order to enable Our Lady of Mercy primary school to adhere to the maximum class size guidelines for all junior and senior classes in selected schools under the urban dimension of the new programme, the school has benefited from the allocation of two additional teaching posts in the current school year. The school is also eligible to receive supplementary grant aid of £5,171 towards the provision of suitable educational supports for the pupils concerned in respect of the current school year.
Notwithstanding changes in enrolment in junior and senior classes, in view of the special nature of the scheme, I have authorised the continued allocation of the two teaching posts under the new programme for the 2001-02 school year. The staffing allocation for the school year 2002-03 will be considered in the normal way in the context of the enrolment situation at 30 September 2001.
Cecilia Keaveney
Question:453 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Science the position in relation to an application for a resource teacher by a school (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13660/01]
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has recently sanctioned resource teaching support for the school in question to address the needs of the child to whom she refers.
Liam Aylward
Question:454 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress to date on the application for a full-time learning support teacher by a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow from September 2001; if he will approve this particular application in view of the special case made in its submission to his Department of 11 April 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13661/01]
All available learning support teacher posts have been allocated as part of the process of extending the learning support service to every primary school in the country with a pupil teacher ratio of 10:1 or above. The school referred to by the Deputy has the services of a shared learning support teacher. The needs of the school will be taken fully into account in the event of additional learning support teacher posts becoming available for distribution.