Vol. 559 No. 5
232 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason for the delay in appointing a shared resource teacher to St Joseph's BNS, Boyle, County Roscommon; when this appointment will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26770/02]
The school referred to by the Deputy applied to my Department for a shared resource teacher post. While this application was being processed it was discovered that the school had not provided all the necessary information required to support such applications. The application has been returned to the school for completion. When the completed application is returned by the school it will be processed by my Department.
All requests for resource teacher support are required to be made on standard application forms. Copies of the forms in question and instructions as to their completion have been issued to all schools.
233 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary schools in the State; the number of these with teaching principals; the number of these schools which are one, two or three teacher schools; his further plans to assist teaching principals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26814/02]
The number of primary schools in the State, excluding special schools, is 3,155. A total of 2,241 of the schools have teaching principals. The information in regard to the number of one, two and three teacher primary schools is being compiled and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.
In recent years many improvements have been made to assist principal teachers in the performance of their duties and to relieve their administrative burden. The scheme of release time was introduced for the 2000-01 school year. This scheme enables teaching principals of primary schools to be released from their teaching duties for a specified number of days annually to undertake administrative, leadership and management functions. The number of days release time granted is determined by the number of mainstream class teachers in the school. Substitution paid by my Department is provided for the days that principals are on administrative leave. The number of release days granted was further increased for the current school year and boards of management were advised of the increase in a recent circular issued by my Department.
Arising from the implementation of the PCW agreement, significant improvements were introduced to the management structure of primary schools by the allocation of additional posts of responsibility. It is a matter for the boards of management of schools to delegate functions to post of responsibility holders. The number of posts of responsibility range from two posts of responsibility in a two teacher school to, for example, 20 posts of responsibility in a 40 teacher school.
In addition to the above, funding to primary schools for secretarial and caretaking services has increased from the €50.79 per pupil that applied in the 2000-01 school year, to the €102 per pupil that issued in March 2002 to all eligible schools. This rate will increase further next year to €127.
I am aware that a claim regarding the category of allowances payable to primary teachers is being processed under the teachers conciliation and arbitration scheme. The Deputy will appreciate that it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the business of the conciliation council.
My Department is currently engaged in the development of a computerised on line system for the submission of claims for the payment of certain categories of teachers. It is expected that a pilot project will commence in the 2003-04 school year on the implementation of this project. The implementation of this project and its extension in primary schools in the next few years should help to further reduce the administrative burden on boards of management and principal teachers.
