Skip to main content
Normal View

DEIS Administration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 December 2019

Wednesday, 4 December 2019

Questions (114, 115, 120, 121)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

114. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding DEIS schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50509/19]

View answer

Denis Naughten

Question:

115. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in DEIS band one primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50510/19]

View answer

Brendan Smith

Question:

120. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to reduce class sizes in DEIS band one schools (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50581/19]

View answer

Thomas Pringle

Question:

121. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason there was no corresponding reduction made in the pupil-teacher ratio in DEIS band one schools in view of the fact that staffing schedules in schools were reduced in budgets 2016 and 2018 and again for small schools in budget 2020; if he has responded to DEIS teachers in County Donegal calling for a reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50586/19]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 114, 115, 120 and 121 together.

The DEIS programme allows for a reduced class size in Urban Band 1 primary schools with the application of a preferential staffing schedule to these schools of 20:1 at junior classes and 24:1 at senior classes to support those students at the highest risk of educational disadvantage.

Schools in the DEIS Urban Band 2 and Rural bands receive the same allocation under the primary staffing schedule as mainstream schools which now stands at 26:1.

Posts allocated on the basis of the staffing schedule are specifically for mainstream classes and should be deployed accordingly. School authorities are requested to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account. However, school authorities should, where possible, use their autonomy under the staffing schedule to implement smaller class sizes for junior classes. The staffing schedule is available on my Department's website at

https://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0019_2019.pdf

As the Deputy may be aware, DEIS Plan acknowledges the allocation of teaching resources to DEIS primary schools with the highest concentrations of children at risk of educational disadvantage has served to improve learning outcomes. It also commits to the evaluation of the level of teaching resources for schools participating in DEIS to be undertaken to inform future policy in this area.

In order to facilitate this a Class Size Working Group was established comprising representatives from the Education Partners, the Educational Research Centre and the relevant Business Units in my Department. This group has met on a number of occasions to consider class size in the context of improved learning outcomes of those most at risk of educational disadvantage.

A report on the work of this group is currently being finalised, and will take into consideration the feedback and observations of the working group members. It is intended that this will be finalised in the coming weeks and its findings will inform future policy direction in this area.

Top
Share