Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 29 May 2001

Vol. 537 No. 2

Written Answers. - School Staffing.

Tony Gregory

Question:

378 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will ensure that there is no reduction in the teaching staff in the coming school year at St. Joseph's national school, East Wall, Dublin 3; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15575/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

The staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. The number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule and is finalised for a particular year following discussions with the education partners.

The enrolment at St. Joseph's national school has decreased from 234 pupils on 30 September 1999 to 218 pupils on 30 September 2000. This latter enrolment will entitle the school to a staffing of a principal and eight mainstream class teachers for the 2001-02 school year. An enrolment of 240 pupils on 30 September 2000 was required for the retention of the post of the ninth mainstream class teacher. The school also has the services of a learning support teacher, a disadvantaged concessionary teacher and a shared home-school liaison teacher.

The only deviation from the agreed schedule to which I referred is in the case of schools that are experiencing a large increase in enrolments. In such cases, an additional staffing post may be sanctioned by my Department if the school meets the defined criteria as outlined in circular 12/01 which issued to schools recently. Unfortunately, at this time it is not possible to sanction the retention of the ninth mainstream class teaching post at St. Joseph's for the 2001-02 school year.

In January, I launched the new programme entitled Giving Children An Even Break which deals with educational disadvantage in primary schools. Schools participating in the programme are eligible to receive a range of additional supports, including teacher posts and financial supports to be targeted at disadvantaged pupils. The additional supports to be provided reflect the level of concentration of pupils from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds in each school invited to participate in the programme.

There are separate urban and rural dimensions to the programme. Schools categorised as urban with the highest concentrations of at risk pupils will be supported, where necessary, over the three year period through staff allocations to implement a pupil-teacher ratio of 20:1 in the junior classes which are infants through to second class and a pupil-teacher ratio of 29:1 in senior classes which range from third class through to sixth class.

The school referred to by the Deputy is included in the urban dimension of the new programme. The school will receive a supplementary grant aid of £1,860 towards providing additional educational supports for the children concerned in respect of the current school year in addition to oneex quota teacher and £7,020 under the disadvantaged area scheme. The school was not considered eligible for additional teaching staff based on the level of concentration of at risk pupils in the schools as reflected in the Educational Research Centre survey outcome.