Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Mar 2003

Vol. 563 No. 5

Written Answers - School Staffing.

Marian Harkin

Question:

187 Ms Harkin asked the Minister for Education and Science if a qualified secondary teacher with a learning support qualification who has been teaching in a primary school for the past 15 years can obtain a permanent resource and learning support post in a primary school in a situation where no qualified primary teacher is available. [8503/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

To be fully recognised to teach at primary level in this country and, therefore, be entitled to take up permanent posts, teachers must have undertaken a recognised primary teaching training course and possess a recognised primary teaching qualification. Such a qualification is usually achieved by a person graduating from one of the recognised primary teacher training courses in the colleges of education, including the post-graduate conversion courses. It is open to degree holders wishing to pursue a career in primary teaching to opt for the post-graduate diploma in primary teaching.

Recognised secondary qualifications are not accepted for the purpose of recognition to teach in a permanent capacity in primary schools. At primary level teachers are class teachers, rather than subject specialists, and must be qualified to teach the range of primary school subjects to children aged four to 12 years. In order to obtain recognition to teach in mainstream primary schools second level teachers must undergo a post-graduate primary conversion course.

However, under a temporary scheme operated by my Department to address the shortage of qualified teachers at primary level, secondary qualified teachers are remunerated at the trained rate of pay when they take up substitute or temporary positions in primary schools. Secondary teachers may also hold posts as resource teachers for pupils with special needs at primary level under this scheme. I emphasise however, that this is only a temporary scheme and secondary teachers could only hold such posts for the duration of the scheme. It should also be noted that under this scheme secondary teachers would not be eligible to hold posts as learning support teachers, as such teachers must be fully probated primary teachers.

Recognised secondary teachers may also teach in special primary schools where a proportion of the pupils attending the special school are of post primary age, that is, 12 years or older, and where second level programmes are being provided by the school – for example, junior certificate elementary programme and leaving certificate applied programme.

Olwyn Enright

Question:

188 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science when a third assistant teacher will be appointed to St. Ciaran's national school, Clonmacnoise, Shannonbridge, Athlone, County Offaly. [8508/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

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

The enrolment of St. Ciaran's national school on 30 September 2001 was 71 pupils, which warranted a staffing of principal and two mainstream class teachers for the current school year. The enrolment on 30 September 2002 was 74 pupils, which warrants a staffing of principal and two mainstream class teachers for the 2003-04 school year. As the agreed appointment figure for a third mainstream class teacher is 82 pupils, there is no basis on which my Department may sanction an additional teaching post in St. Ciaran's national school.

In August 2002, I established an independent appeals board to adjudicate on appeals from boards of management on mainstream staffing allocations in primary schools. The appeals board operates independently of the Minister and the Department and its decision is final. All primary schools have recently received a circular setting out the staffing schedule for the coming school year and the procedures for submitting an appeal. This circular is also available on my Department's website.