Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 October 2014
174. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on removing a teacher from a small school from November to June because of a decline in pupil numbers when the school will be in a position to regain the teacher the following September (details supplied); her views that this upheaval would be best avoided by allowing teachers in such cases to remain in situ; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40592/14]
View answerThe key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. Circular 0007/2014 sets out the criteria for the allocation of teaching posts to primary schools for the 2014/2015 school year and is available on the website. The staffing schedule also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. My Department has expanded the existing appeals process so that it is accessible to the schools that are affected by the Budget 2012 small schools measure. In this regard schools of four teachers or less will not lose their classroom post if they are projecting sustainable increased enrolments in September 2014 that would be sufficient to allow them to retain their existing classroom posts over the longer term.
The school referred to by the Deputy had 18 pupils on 30 September 2013 which entitled it to one classroom post for the current school year. The school submitted an appeal to the February 2014 meeting of the Primary Staffing Appeals Board seeking an additional post on the basis of a projected enrolment of 21 pupils in September, 2014. The appeal was provisionally upheld pending verification of enrolment at 30 September, 2014. The school did not achieve its projected enrolment (14 pupils were enrolled at 30 September, 2014) and the post will be withdrawn with effect from 24 October, 2014.
The Appeal Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final. I have already indicated that staffing schedules were not increased in Budget 2015. The required number of pupils to sustain a two teacher school for the coming school year remains at 20 pupils.
