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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Oct 2001

Vol. 543 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - School Staffing.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter which is an important one for the people of Lisnamrock near Ballingarry, County Tipperary. I also thank the Minister for coming to the House to answer this matter.

Lisnamrock national school is a two teacher school with 46 pupils. It has disadvantaged status and benefits from the Breaking the Cycle programme. In September 2001, 11 junior infants enrolled in the school resulting in 31 pupils in the junior cycle spread over four classes. It is the belief of parents and teachers that the children are being deprived of a proper education because of the unacceptable pupil-teacher ratio of 31:1 in the multi-class junior cycle.

As a participant in the Breaking the Cycle programme, they believe they are discriminated against when compared to their urban counterparts who have a pupil-teacher ratio of 15:1. Parents say they are also discriminated against under the school's disadvantaged status because urban disadvantaged schools have a pupil-teacher ratio of 20:1 in the junior cycle.

The parents are very concerned about this. It is a long way to next year and, while they understand the Department has examined the situation, they are still concerned. I hope the Minister has some good news for me.

I thank Deputy Tom Hayes for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position of the Department of Education and Science on the staffing in Lisnamrock national school.

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 which is finalised for a specific year following discussions with the education partners. The enrolment of the school on 30 September 2000 was 43 pupils which warrants a staffing for the 2001-02 school year of a principal and one mainstream class teacher. In addition, the school has the services of a learning support teacher.

Lisnamrock national school has disadvantaged status and was also included in the rural phase of the Breaking the Cycle programme. Schools with disadvantaged status qualify for supplementary capitation funding of £30 per pupil and also receive a refund of their television licence fee and a 95% grant for building projects. Inclusion in the Breaking the Cycle programme means Lisnamrock NS also receives annual grants of £1,000 for materials and equipment and £1,000 for out-of-school projects. The school was also included in one of 25 clusters of selected schools each served by a teacher/co-ordinator.

Lisnamrock National School is included in the rural dimension of the new programme launched by the Minister on 4 January. Schools such as this one which benefited under the rural dimension of Breaking the Cycle will continue to receive the levels of additional support that were provided under that scheme. Lisnamrock National School has received supplementary grant aid of £750 for the 2000-2001 school year, which, in common with other schools being included in the new programme, is based on the levels of concentration of disadvantaged pupils in the schools as identified through the extensive survey conducted last year by the Educational Research Centre. This funding has been allocated in addition to the Breaking the Cycle grants that are issued to Lisnamrock National School.

Schools identified by the Educational Research Centre as having the highest concentration of disadvantaged pupils will be allocated the services of a teacher/co-ordinator who will work in clusters of four or five schools. Lisnamrock National School already qualifies for inclusion in a cluster in County Tipperary because of its participation in Breaking the Cycle. Its cluster will continue to have the services of a local teacher/co-ordinator who will work with pupils, parents and teachers.

Lisnamrock National School required an enrolment of at least 59 pupils on 30 September 2001 to gain an additional assistant under the scheme for schools designated as disadvantaged. As the enrolment on 30 September 2001, according to data received from the board of management, was only 46 pupils, I regret that there is no basis for the appointment of an additional mainstream class teacher for the 2001-2002 school year.

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