Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 May 2013
121. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address the concerns of a parent (details supplied) whose child is a student at a school in County Donegal that will undergo staffing changes in the 2013-14 academic year and if he will write to the parent regarding the matter. [23385/13]
View answerAs part of the Budget 2012 decisions, the number of pupils required to gain and retain a classroom teaching post in small primary schools is being gradually increased between September 2012 and September 2014. During this period the pupil threshold for a 2-classroom school is being increased to 20 pupils. In these extremely challenging times, all public servants are being asked to deliver our public services on a reduced level of resources and teachers in small schools cannot be immune from this requirement. The phasing of these measures can provide the schools concerned with time to consider the potential for amalgamation with other schools where this is feasible. If amalgamations do take place, they will be voluntary and follow decisions taken by local communities and not by the Department.
The Government recognises that small schools are an important part of the social fabric of rural communities and my Department has expanded the existing appeals process so that it is accessible to the small schools that are affected by the budget measure. In this regard small schools will not lose their classroom post if they are projecting sustainable increased enrolments in September 2013 that would be sufficient to allow them to retain their existing classroom posts over the longer term.
The detailed arrangements in relation to the appeals process are set in the Department's Staffing Circular 0013/2013. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final. The responsibility for day to day management of schools is at local school level. Schools are required to take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of pupils and to participate in supervising pupils when the pupils are on the school premises, during school time and/or on school activities.
In accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, it is the responsibility of individual school management authorities to have a safety statement in place in their schools. The Statement should identify potential hazards, assess the risks to health and safety and put appropriate provision in place to safeguard the safety and health of employees and pupils. The Safety Statement should be reviewed on a regular basis.
In 2002, my Department agreed arrangements for the provision of funding for supervision in respect of mid-morning and lunch-time breaks which are set out in Circular 21/02. Specific arrangements apply in the case of small schools, i.e. 1, 2 and 3 teacher schools. In such schools, each teacher may claim payment for up to 37 hours per school year for the provision of supervision services. Payment for further hours of supervision, up to a maximum of 122 hours per school year, is made by grant to the Board of Management of the school. Some or all of the 122 hours may be undertaken by an external supervisor appointed by the school. For example, if the teacher(s) in the school opt out of the supervision scheme, all 122 hours can be undertaken by an external supervisor.
In Ireland, given the number of relatively small schools that have four teachers or fewer, multi-grade classes are the norm in the majority of our primary schools. This is reflected in the centrally-devised Primary School Curriculum (1999) which articulates a progressive and developmental learning experience for our pupils. General guidance and advice for teachers are provided in National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) curriculum documents, and assessment guidelines etc. that are applicable to all primary schools.
The Primary School Curriculum (1999), which is child-centred rather than subject-centred, also allows for flexibility in timetabling and teaching methods. It emphasises that children should experience a variety of classroom organisational frameworks. While these include individual learning and whole-class teaching, the curriculum particularly encourages collaborative learning through pair work and group work as appropriate to the specific learning contexts and goals. Within multi-grade classes, teachers may use a range of models for grouping pupils, including mixed-ability grouping. Integration and differentiation are also key approaches in the primary curriculum. The organisation of teaching and learning through integrated themes can be highly motivating and satisfying for children and are particularly useful in multi-class situations.
