Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 July 2006
104 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Science the teaching and support staff resources which will be made available at a school (details supplied) in County Kildare in view of the successful section 29 appeals for places; if she will reconsider the enrolment policy in the area; the way in which pupils arriving during the year seeking accommodation at the school will be provided for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25634/06]
View answerEnrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
The staffing of a primary school for a particular school year is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on the 30th September of the previous school year and by reference to a staffing schedule. The staffing schedule for the 2006/07 school year is outlined in Primary Circular 0023/2006 which has issued to all primary schools.
Based on the enrolment of 52 pupils on the 30th September 2005 as submitted by the Board of Management of the school referred to by the Deputy, the staffing for the 2006/2007 school year will be a Principal and 2 Mainstream Class Teachers.
The school had the services of a temporary Language Support teacher for the 2005/2006 school year. No application has been made to my Department for a renewal of this post or for an increase in the services required. However if an application is made, my Department will consider it.
The school has applied for two posts under developing school criteria for the coming school year. A developing school is defined as a school where the enrolment on 30 September, 2006 is projected to exceed the enrolment on 30 September, 2005 by a minimum numerical increase of 25 pupils and by having a stipulated excess of 5 pupils above the required appointment figure. In the case of such schools, an additional permanent post(s) may be sanctioned provisionally pending the confirmation of the valid enrolment on 30 September, 2006. The staffing will be adjusted in the light of the actual valid enrolments on 30 September, 2006.
My Department has sanctioned the two posts effective from the 1st September 2006 on a provisional basis subject to the projected enrolment figure being achieved on the 30th September 2006.
