Vol. 542 No. 5
444 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science the proposals he has to assist students on VTOS courses in Dungarvan attending County Waterford VEC, as a result of the cutting back of hours and the reduction in the number of teachers involved in the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24952/01]
The distribution and time-tabling of teaching hours across subject areas is a matter for the VEC to determine in the light of student demand and programme coherence. My inquiries into the matter raised by the Deputy show that any re-distribution in the teaching hours involved in the vocational training opportunities scheme courses in Dungarvan has been minimal and arose from the dropping of some modules to ensure an improved certification mix. There was also a change in the number of hours that the VTOS co-ordinator was required to teach, in accordance with arrangements introduced for the management of VTOS centres. There has been no reduction this year in the overall amount of 90 hours tuition per week provided last year.
