Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 June 2022
266. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the overcrowding in primary schools across Limerick county which has now increased due to the enrolment of Ukrainian children; the reason that appeals for extra teachers have been refused based on the large class-sizes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28554/22]
View answerI wish to thank the Deputy for his question.
Utilisation of each school’s existing capacity in the most flexible way possible is key to supporting Ukrainian children who are being enrolled in our schools. There is generally good capacity across the country albeit there may be capacity pressures to be managed in some areas.
The Department’s assessment of applications for additional accommodation require it to be satisfied that capacity across all other schools in a town or area is fully utilised. This will require good cooperation and collaboration between schools, supported as necessary through the local Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT). Capacity information on the school system has been made available by my Department’s Planning and Building Unit to support and assist the work of the REALT teams.
Schools should contact their local REALT team if they have insufficient capacity to facilitate Ukrainian children seeking enrolment. The relevant contact details are available at https://www.etbi.ie/regional-education-and-language-teams-for-ukraine/
The 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.
For the 2022/23 school year, the staffing schedule for primary schools has been improved by one point and schools will be provided with class teachers on the basis of 1 teacher for every 24 pupils which is a historical low ratio. The staffing arrangements also include a provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts, using projected enrolment. The staffing process also contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.
My Department is also providing additional language teaching resources to support schools who have received pupils from Ukraine. This additional resource is provided to schools based on the number of Ukrainian children enrolled in the school. The application form is available on the Department's website.
