Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 25 Jun 2003

Vol. 569 No. 4

Adjournment Debate. - School Staffing.

Mr. F. McGrath

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for affording me the opportunity to raise the serious issue of the rejection of the application for a 12th teacher at Belgrove senior boys schools, Clontarf. I urge the Minister present, the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy Brian Lenihan, to listen carefully to the genuine case of the teachers, parents and pupils of the school who face a serious staffing problem in September 2003. I demand support for Belgrove school.

The background is that the number of pupils on the school roll was 324 at the end of September 2002, which was one pupil short of the number necessary to qualify automatically for a 12th classroom teacher required to cater for the numbers coming through from the junior boys' school in September 2003.

In March 2001 Belgrove boys senior and junior schools, which share a common campus, received approval by the Department of Education and Science to proceed with the planning procedure to build two 12-classroom schools. The junior boys' school, which is the feeder school to the senior boys' school and provides nearly all of its intake of pupils, received approval around the same time to recruit a 12th classroom teacher. This has resulted in the position that there will be one extra class to be catered for by the senior school next September, arising from an intake of three classes from the junior school totalling 75 pupils and two classes, totalling 69 pupils, graduating from the senior school. In other words, unless the senior school receives approval to recruit an extra teacher, 11 teachers will have to cater for 12 classes, necessitating the three incoming classes being condensed into two classes, one of 37 and one of 38 pupils. This is unacceptable given that the maximum size set by the Department is 29 pupils.

Total numbers enrolled at the school will increase from 330, to which may be added as many as six pupils, based on the school's experience of further applications from the area. The parents and children involved are extremely angry and concerned at this prospect which they fear will result in disruption to their children's education and will set back progress. They are also at a loss to know the reason the status quo of three teachers cannot be maintained for the coming year, given that the numbers will be adequate at the end of September 2003 to qualify automatically for an additional teacher in 2004.

At a packed meeting of the parents on Tuesday, 13 May attended also by most of the parents of the incoming boys, parents expressed anger and frustration at the manner in which the school is being treated by the Department. They are also concerned at the extra pressures which will be placed on the teachers who will be required to teach oversize classes. While recognising the demands on the Minister's time and the pressure on resources, I ask him to reconsider the school's application in light of the facts I have outlined.

If we are serious about education and developing schools, the Minister has a duty to intervene and grant the 12th teacher and if he does so, we will all win. I urge him to reconsider his position on this matter and allow the school to get on with the job of providing a top quality education service to the pupils of Belgrove senior boys' school in Clontarf.

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science (Mr. B. Lenihan)

I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Noel Dempsey. I am glad to have the opportunity to outline the position regarding the school in question. The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous year. The number of mainstream posts is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is finalised for a particular school year following discussions with the education partners.

The staffing schedule is set out in a circular which issues from the Department of Education and Science to all primary school boards of management. Accordingly, all boards are aware of the staffing position for their school in any school year. The staffing schedule for the coming school year, 2003-04, is outlined in the Department's circular 9/03, which issued to all primary schools in February 2003 and is available on the Department's website.

The allocation of additional teaching posts in recent years for improvements in the staffing schedule and for children with special needs, together with a decline in enrolments, has helped to ensure that the overall pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools has improved substantially. This includes a decrease in the overall maximum class size in primary schools by reference to the staffing schedule from 35 pupils in the 1995-96 school year to 29 pupils in the 2002-03 school year.

The school referred to by the Deputy had an enrolment on 30 September 2001 of 317 pupils which warranted a staffing for the 2002-03 school year of an administrative principal and 11 mainstream teachers. The school also has the service of a learning support teacher and resource teacher. The enrolment of the school on 30 September 2002 was 324 pupils. The appointment figure for the 12th mainstream class teacher is 325 pupils, as pointed out by the Deputy. As the school did not attain this figure, it was not possible to sanction the additional teacher. The school submitted an appeal to the staffing appeals board for the allocation of an additional teacher. The appeals board considered the appeal on 9 April and the appeal was rejected. The school authorities were notified of this decision on 10 April 2003.

The independent appeals board on mainstream staffing was established in August 2002 and commenced operation at the beginning of the 2002-03 school year. The purpose of the board is to allow for the independent consideration of appeals, under certain criteria, against the mainstream staffing schedule as issued to schools. The appeals board allows for equitable and transparent treatment of all primary schools and its decision is final. It is not open to the Minister for Education and Science or his Department to interfere in this process.