asked the Minister for Education if he will make a statement on the recent UCD appointments office report on the employment of Higher Diploma in Education graduates in 1979.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment of Graduates.
5.
Since the coverage of the annual survey of graduate employment, was extended to Higher Diploma in Education graduates it has been apparent that only about half of these students take up teaching subsequently.
There has been a significant drop in the numbers gaining the Higher Diploma in Education in recent years. 1,470 new teachers with Higher Diploma in Education have been employed in secondary schools in the last three years. Others have been employed in vocational and other schools where the Higher Diploma in Education is not a necessary qualification.
Is the Minister satisfied with the situation where young graduates who pursue a Higher Diploma in Education do not in fact get employment in a permanent position afterwards? The 1979 report of the UCD careers and appointments office shows that only 29.3 per cent of H. Dip. graduates got permanent posts subsequent to graduation. Is the Minister further aware that only a further 27.4 per cent got temporary or part-time teaching positions? Would he not agree that this position is most unsatisfactory in view of the gross overcrowding in primary schools?
The Deputy should not stretch out the question to the extent of a statement.
The Deputy is well aware that he is not talking about primary schools.
Is the Minister satisfied that of all the H. Dip. graduates in 1979, only 29.3 per cent got permanent jobs?
At the time of the survey?
That is right. Is the Minister satisfied with that?
Even if there is one person unemployed no Government Minister can feel satisfied.
Would the Minister not agree that this reflects adversely on the Government's policy in relation to reducing class size? If we are going to neglect the availability of such a pool of teachers we shall not get our class sizes down.
The Deputy is well aware that since I took office I reduced the pupil-teacher ratio requirement in secondary, vocational, comprehensive and community schools which resulted in very much increased employment in these schools.
Could the Minister say, then, why only 29.3 per cent of H. Dip. graduates got permanent employment?
I suppose situations were not available for them.
That is the answer, is it not? There is no money.
The point is that the universities can take in as many as they wish. I have no control over the intake into the Higher Diploma course, as the Deputy knows very well.
Is the Minister not aware that as a result of the recent budget both representatives of primary schools and secondary schools have protested in most serious terms at the lack of money for secondary and primary education, and will he not agree that this situation is most unsatisfactory?
There is plenty of money, and the Deputy knows that.
There is not.
The Deputy was listening to the Estimates Debate or, if he was not listening, his party reposed no confidence in him to listen and he could not listen and could not understand. He should have listened and should have understood.
Will the Minister tell me why the Secretariat for Secondary Schools and the Primary Schools Managers' Association have come out in such venemous terms——
I will stand on my record of increased employment.
If the Minister does he will go out of office.
This is Question Time, not debating time.