asked the Minister for Education if she will reconsider the granting of a six-year cycle to Bishopstown Community School, Bishopstown, Cork as the first post-primary school in the country to integrate the hearing impaired into the ordinary school system; and in view of the fact that when these hearing impaired pupils enter Bishopstown school they are three to four years behind in their education compared to their hearing peers.
Written Answers. - Hearing Impaired Pupils.
68.
In accordance with the terms of my Department's circular letter M8/88 the junior cycle is required to be of three years' duration, and the leaving certificate course is required to be of two years' duration in all post-primary schools.
Schools which were providing a fouryear junior cycle in the 1985-86 school year may be given approval to provide a transition year programme. Approval for transition year courses cannot be given to any other schools at present.
Under the terms of circular letter M8/88 provision does exist to permit individual pupils to repeat a year of the post-primary course in exceptional circumstances.The needs of remedial pupils, properly attested, are included in the criteria applied by my Department in deciding on such requests.