Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 March 2012
100 Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views in relation to a matter (details supplied); the proposals he has to address the concerns raised; if such technicalities as outlined can be addressed or appealed; if so, the mechanism or process available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12091/12]
View answer103 Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills following publication of arrangements for learning support and resource teaching which has led to concerns for staff and pupils in a school (details supplied), if urgent and favourable consideration will be given to the detailed request submitted by the principal and board of management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12118/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 103 together.
The staffing arrangements for the 2012/13 school year are set out in Primary Circular 0007/2012 which is available on my Department's website. This includes the detail of the reform of the allocation process which is designed to bring a more equitable distribution of existing posts between schools.
The new arrangements incorporate a long overdue updating of the GAM (learning support) allocation for all schools. This inevitably involves changes to existing clustering arrangements whereby a teacher is shared between schools. A further change is that schools in any locality are being empowered to cluster and arrange their GAM resources in a manner that best suits their local needs. This should be completed by schools in March.
There are also new and separate arrangements for how resource hours for individual pupils are converted into teaching posts in schools. The requirement for resource hours in a school varies from year to year depending on the number, if any, of its pupils with autism etc. The new arrangements take account of the later timescale for the allocation of these hours necessitated by individual assessment by the NCSE.
All of the changes are designed to enable a more efficient operation of the teacher redeployment and recruitment and to reduce the impact of travel time between schools where teachers are shared.
My Department will be working with schools and the relevant education partners to ensure that the new arrangements operate as efficiently as possible. As the process proceeds this work can take account of any appropriate local arrangements that might be made to further optimise travel arrangements
