Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 13 Nov 1990

Vol. 402 No. 5

Written Answers. - Pupil/Teacher Ratio.

Garrett Fitzgerald

Ceist:

194 Mr. G. FitzGerald asked the Minister for Education the steps she intends taking to improve the pupil/teacher ratio position in St. Anne's national school, Milltown, Dublin 6, where there are currently 38 pupils in a dual fourth class.

Minister for Education (Mrs. O'Rourke)

As the Deputy will be aware an agreement is in existence between the Government and INTO regarding the staffing of national schools.

As agreed with the Central Review Committee under the Programme for National Recovery my Department has implemented a reduction of one unit in the enrolment/staffing schedule for national schools from 1 September 1990. This agreement has led to an improvement in the pupil/teacher ratio in all national schools for the 1990-91 school year.

Under existing arrangements negotiated under the auspices of the Central Review Committee, school authorities, in particular the principal teacher, are responsible for arranging the organisation of the school so as to ensure that no class group exceeds the following guidelines set down by my Department: 39 in the case of a single grade class group; 38 in the case of a class group with two consecutive grades; and 35 in the case of a multi-grade class group.

The following is the position as regards enrolment in the school referred to by the Deputy:

Standard	Number of pupils
6th	26
6th	25
5th	39
4th	39
3rd	39
2nd	39
1st	39
Senior Infants	31
Junior Infants	36
Junior Infants	32
Total	345

The school has the benefit of a shared remedial post.

If a school is unable to organise its total enrolment to remain within the guidelines, my Department is prepared to examine the question of sanctioning the appointment of an additional teacher to enable it to do so. The school is not in breach of the Department's guidelines on maximum class sizes. All of the class groupings are within the guidelines set out in Circular 23/88.

The issue of class sizes in national schools will be reviewed in the context of ongoing discussions under theProgramme for National Recovery.