Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2014
158. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has received correspondence from a school (details supplied) in County Donegal; if he has considered the associated request; the outcome of his consideration; if he will facilitate the school in question in view of the particular circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27834/14]
View answerI am aware of the correspondence referred to by the Deputy. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) approves special classes for schools. Such a special class was approved for St. Peter's NS, Mountcharles in 2011.
The criteria for the appointment of an administrative principal to a school, which are enrolment related, are set out in Appendix B of Circular, 0007/2014 Staffing Arrangements in Primary Schools for the 2014/15 school year and are available on the website. The school does not meet these criteria.
My Department has arrangements in place whereby a substitute teacher is employed by a school if a teacher, including special class teachers, is absent on certified sick leave as is the position in this case.
Since September 2012 the combined resources available for learning support (General Allocation Model at Primary) and language support have been merged into a single simplified allocation process. The GAM/EAL arrangements for the 2014/15 school year are set out in Circular 0007/2014 and are based on a school's mainstream classroom posts for the 2013/14 school year and will not be overturned. Appendix C of that circular lists the allocation for all schools. Where schools do not have sufficient GAM/EAL hours to create a full-time post, a process is in place for such schools to enter into cluster arrangements with neighbouring schools. St. Peter's NS will be a base school for a shared GAM/EAL post for the 2014/15 school year.
