asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the proposed redeployment of a teacher (details supplied) in County Westmeath will result in the dropping of science as a subject option from this school; that this change will be to the detriment of the pupils of the school; and if she will cancel the proposed redeployment in order to protect the interests of the pupils concerned.
Written Answers. - Redeployment of Teacher.
16.
In the case of the school in question, incremental salary is currently being paid to three teachers in excess of the number warranted by reference to current staffing regulations.
Accordingly, three teachers were due to be redeployed under the terms of the redeployment scheme for lay teachers in Catholic secondary schools, two of whom are science teachers. Following consideration of an appeal from the school, my Department authorised an additional post for the forthcoming school year on the basis of projected enrolment for September 1988, thus reducing the number of teachers to be redeployed to two. In the circumstances, the name of the most senior teacher involved, a science teacher, has been removed from the Panel, and therefore remains as a staff member in this school.
The redeployment scheme for lay teachers in Catholic secondary schools is a result of an agreement between the religious/clerical authorities of the Catholic secondary schools and the ASTI. The agreement establishes agreed procedures by which lay teachers are redeployed to full-time teaching posts within mutually agreed boundaries in the event of a closure of a secondary school or where the number of teachers who may be paid incremental salary is required to be reduced in accordance with the Rules for the Payment of Incremental Salary to Secondary Teachers.
As the teacher named by the Deputy is not the senior teacher, his redeployment must proceed in accordance with the terms of the scheme.