Vol. 544 No. 4
242 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of post primary schools without counselling and career guidance provision; the number of teaching posts required to meet this need; and the estimated cost of these posts. [29142/01]
My Department makes a specific ex-quota allocation of teaching posts in respect of guidance in second level schools. The allocation ranges from 0.36 of a post – eight hours per week – in schools in the free education scheme with an enrolment of less than 200 pupils to two posts in the case of schools with an enrolment of 1,000 pupils or more. In the case of certain fee-charging schools, which are not in the free education scheme, 0.5 of a post is allocated in respect of the schools in the 350 to 499 enrolment category and a full post is allocated in the case of schools with 500 or more pupils. In addition to the allocation based on enrolments, 50 whole time equivalent guidance counselling posts were allocated this year under the guidance enhancement initiative. Some 103 second level schools will have benefited directly under the initiative.
There are currently 630 whole time equivalent approved career guidance posts in second level schools. There are 15 schools outside of the free education scheme which do not receive an ex-quota allocation in respect of guidance. If these 15 fee-charging schools were to receive an allocation in respect of guidance on the same basis as schools within the scheme, approximately six extra posts would be required at an estimated annual cost of £150,000.
