asked the Minister for Education (a) the total number of remedial teachers employed in post-primary schools in the country; and (b) the number of remedial teachers at primary and post-primary level trained each year.
Written Answers. - Remedial Teachers.
266.
At primary level, all teachers, as part of their initial training study the theory and practice of remedial education and are trained to cater for the needs of children who require remedial attention. Inservice courses to supplement this basic training are held annually for about 130 teachers.
Remedial teachers are not a specific category in post-primary schools. It is not possible, therefore, to give the total number of such teachers employed in post-primary schools. Where a need is established for the provision of remedial education for students in these schools, such education is provided by teachers who, in addition to possessing the normal qualifications required of teachers in the schools, are deemed to be competent to undertake remedial education, usually as a result of attendance at special inservice courses organised by my Department.
Special training courses in remedial education for post-primary teachers were introduced by my Department in 1971/72. The following table shows the number of teachers trained each year since then:
|
Year |
Number of Teachers Trained Post-Primary |
|
1971/72 |
28 |
|
1972/73 |
60 |
|
1973/74 |
71 |
|
1974/75 |
70 |
|
1975/76 |
— |
|
1976/77 |
39 |
|
1977/78 |
40 |
There are 43 post-primary teachers attending the current year's course.