My Department does not allocate classroom assistants to schools nor does it have any plans or funding to do so. All public servants are being asked to do more with less and the teachers in our small schools cannot be exempt from this requirement. It should be noted that the threshold of 20 pupils for a two teacher school is significantly below the threshold of 28 pupils that operated up to the late 1990s. There is also an appeals process available to small schools to give them an opportunity to have their staffing based on their projected pupil enrolments for September 2014.
Our current configuration of small primary schools has been examined by the Department in a value for money (VFM) review. This review took account of the ethos of schools and the locations of small schools relative to other schools of a similar type. I am currently considering the findings of this review in consultation with my Government colleagues and I intend to publish the report on completion of this consideration process.
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 Health and Safety Authority in conjunction with the Kilkenny Education Centre issued guidance to all primary schools in relation to managing safety, health and welfare. These guidelines were developed following consultation with relevant stakeholders and include some specific guidance for a one-teacher setting. This guidance is published on the website of the Health and Safety Authority.
