Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 April 2013
106. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will take the increased enrolment figures into consideration as a matter of urgency and grant developing school status which would necessitate a mainstream class teacher and accommodation in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17921/13]
View answerThe criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts to schools for the coming school year 2013/14 is set out in Circular 0013/2013, which is available on the Department website. Under the terms of this Circular, where a school is expanding the number of intake classes which would generate a new stream of pupils, the school must have received prior approval for such expansion from both the school patron and from my Department. The Forward Planning Section of my Department carried out an analysis on the catchment area in which the school referred to by the Deputy is included and concluded that there are sufficient primary school places in the catchment area to meet demand. As a result the school has been advised by my Department that the staffing of the school should remain at Principal + 8 mainstream teachers and 2 special classes (ASD). The application for a teaching post on developing school grounds was refused on this basis.
It is important that school size is monitored and that a balance is preserved among all the schools in catchment areas to ensure one school is not expanding at the expense of the viability of another school. This may sometimes result in children not being offered a place in their school of first choice. As you will appreciate there is a responsibility on schools to manage their own enrolment policies to ensure that they operate within the level of accommodation available to them.
