Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 18 Dec 1990

Vol. 404 No. 1

Written Answers. - Clones (Monaghan) School.

Andrew Boylan

Ceist:

215 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the pupil-teacher ratio situation in St. Louis senior school in Clones, County Monaghan where the three infant classes have numbers of 38, 36 and 35 respectively and that the other four classes in the school have over 30 pupils in each room; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that should this school be unfortunate to lose another teacher which has been mentioned, the class numbers will then be up to 40; and if she will now guarantee the retention of the present number of teachers in this school.

Minister for Education (Mrs. O'Rourke)

As the Deputy will be aware, there is an agreement between the Government and the INTO regarding the staffing of national schools. As part of this agreement my Department have 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 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.

Thirty-nine in the case of a single-grade class group; 38 in the case of a class group with two consecutive grades; 35 in the case of a multi-grade class group.

Enrolment at the school on 30 September 1990, was 230. Staff consists of a principal and six assistant teachers. The school also shares a remedial teacher.

None of the classes is in breach of my Department's maximum class size guidelines. Since the question refers to the senior school, there are no infant classes involved.

The issue of class sizes in national schools will be reviewed in the context of ongoing discussions under the programme for economic and social development.

The board of management of this school have not applied for sanction to appoint an additional assistant teacher.