Vol. 536 No. 2
464 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the findings in a survey commissioned by the primary schools initiative for the Dublin inner city partnership; and the steps his Department will take to assist these schools to retain qualified staff, reduce the incidence of unqualified staff and provide adequate access to support services from the Department for these schools. [13745/01]
The findings of the survey referred to were submitted to me recently. With regard to the issue of the recruitment of primary teachers, I am aware of the difficulties that some schools are experiencing in recruiting fully qualified teachers. The difficulties in obtaining fully quali fied teachers has arisen because the Government has increased demand for teachers generally by the creation of 2,315 extra posts to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio and increase support for children with a disability or disadvantage, and the number of trained teachers graduating from our training colleges had fallen to a very low level in the mid-1990s. Some 291 graduated in 1995.
The Government has taken effective action to boost substantially the supply of trained primary teachers and alleviate these difficulties. The total intake to the colleges of education for primary teaching in the 1999-2000 academic year was increased to 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 commenced in February this year with an intake of 280 students, bringing the total to 1,280.
The intake to the undergraduate training course for primary teachers will continue at the current level of 1,000 for the 2001-02 and 2002-03 academic years. Negotiations are taking place with the colleges of education to provide a further post graduate course next 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. Other initiatives to increase the number of trained 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, teachers 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 now have up to five years to obtain the necessary competence in the language. In addition, for the period of two years from 1 September 2000, teachers trained outside the EU whose qualifications are accepted by my Department will be granted provisional recognition for five years on the same basis as EU trained teachers.
