Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2012
386. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide clarification on teacher numbers and the pupil teacher ratio at a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath from September 2012; if he is satisfied that pupils will continue to receive a comprehensive education with decreased teacher numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37725/12]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is an independent agency with responsibility for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs attending special schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's policy in allocating this support.
Circular 0042/2011 provides information to schools regarding the staffing arrangements which will apply in special schools for the 2012/13 school year. The Circular sets out that, for the 2012/13 school year, special schools will be staffed based on their pupil profiles and the disability category of the pupils enrolled as opposed to being based principally on school designation. It is intended that staffing levels will reflect the complexity of need that exist within schools rather than being determined solely by a school's designation, as many Special Schools now enrol students from disability categories other than from those provided for by their school designations.
The NCSE have advised that the school referred to by the Deputy has been allocated 5 teaching staff by the NCSE for the coming school year, along with 1 Administrative Principal post, for an enrolment of 32 pupils. This provides a pupil teacher ratio of 6.4 to 1 which is significantly in excess of the recommended staffing ratio of 1 teacher of every 8 pupils in a school for children with moderate general learning difficulties. The additional allocation takes into account the individual needs of pupils in the school and the fact that some pupils have more severe or multiple disabilities. The NCSE has confirmed that the school has an appropriate level of teaching staff to cater for all of the children enrolled in the school from September.
