Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2009
390 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science the names and addresses of primary schools where a teaching post was suppressed due to his decision to increase the staffing schedule; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32454/09]
View answer392 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science the names and addresses of primary schools in which an English language resource teaching post was suppressed by his decision to change the criteria by which such posts were allocated to schools; the number of such posts suppressed in each school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32456/09]
View answer415 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science the breakdown by panel area of the number of primary teachers who were redeployed through the panel system in the last quarter of the 2008-2009 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32479/09]
View answer416 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of posts suppressed in primary schools at the end of the 2008-2009 academic year; the reason for the suppression of these posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32480/09]
View answer417 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science the names and addresses of primary schools where a post was suppressed at the end of the 2008-2009 academic year; the reason for the suppression of those posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32481/09]
View answer418 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science the name and address of each primary school which gained a teaching post at the start of the 2009-2010 academic year due to the enrolment figures on 30 September 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32482/09]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 390, 392 and 415 to 418, inclusive, together.
The budget measures will impact on individual schools in different ways depending on whether enrolment is rising or declining and the degree to which any one school has more teachers than it is entitled to under the allocation processes. My Department does not keep dual records for teacher allocations to schools based on what they might have been if there were no budget changes. In terms of the position at individual school level the key factor for determining the level of resources provided by my Department is the pupil enrolment at 30 September 2008.
The level of extra teaching support provided in respect of language support to any school is determined by the numbers of eligible non-English speaking students enrolled and the associated assessed levels of these pupils' language proficiency. It is an annual allocation process that commences in the Spring of each year when schools apply to my Department. Language support posts are approved on a provisional basis initially and will be confirmed following clarification of actual enrolments on 30th September.
The Deputy will be aware that my Department has published provisional information on the Department's website about teacher allocations for 2009/10 school year. This was done as a first step at improving the level of information in the public domain about changes to the staffing allocations in primary schools. The allocations are provisional at this stage and reflect the initial allocation position. Allocations are continuing in respect of special needs, language support and developing posts. The final position for any one school will also depend on a number of other factors such as the outcome of appeals processes and the operation of redeployment arrangements which can mean a teacher remains in his or her existing primary school where a suitable redeployment position does not exist.
The final staffing position for all schools will therefore not be known until later in the autumn. At that stage the allocation process will be fully completed and I remain committed to publishing updated information on teacher allocations which will also include aggregate information on the numbers of primary teachers redeployed through the panel system. At that stage a comparison can also be made between the level of resources allocated to schools this year compared to last year.
391 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science the names and addresses of post-primary schools where a teaching post was suppressed due to his decision to increase the staffing schedule; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32455/09]
View answer393 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science the names and addresses of post-primary schools in which an English language resource teaching post was suppressed by his decision to change the criteria by which such posts were allocated to schools; the number of such posts suppressed in each school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32457/09]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 391 and 393 together.
Teacher allocations to second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. At the level of individual schools the budget changes in relation to the allocation of teaching posts will impact in different ways depending on whether enrolment is rising or declining and the degree to which any one school has more teachers than it is entitled to under the allocation processes. My Department does not keep dual records for teacher allocations to schools based on what they might have been if there were no budget changes.
The level of extra teaching support provided in respect of language support to any school is determined by the numbers of eligible non-English speaking students enrolled and the associated assessed levels of these pupils' language proficiency. It is an annual allocation process that commences in the Spring of each year when schools apply to my Department. Language support posts are approved on a provisional basis initially and will be confirmed following clarification of actual enrolments on 30th September.
Provisional information on teacher allocations to second level schools, whether enrolment related or otherwise, was published on my Department's website. The information represents the position at the time of publication and is not the final position. At this point the allocations process for special needs, language support etc. is still underway. The information on the Department's website will be further updated later in the year when the allocation process is fully completed. At that stage a comparison can be made between the level of resources allocated to schools this year compared to last year.
