Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 14 Dec 1993

Vol. 437 No. 2

Written Answers. - Dublin School Staffing.

Seán Barrett

Ceist:

174 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that St. Brigid's Boys School, Mart Lane, Dublin 18 are due to lose their 16th teacher at the end of the current term due to the fact that, at 30 September 1992, there were 503 pupils enrolled which left them one pupil short of 16 teachers, whereas the enrolment on 13 October 1992 was 504 pupils and the current enrolment is 520 pupils; and if, in view of the fact that they had sufficient numbers in October 1992, she will have arrangements made for the retention of the sixteenth teacher in January 1994, to avoid a great deal of confusion and distress to the children attending this school.

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

The staffing of a national school is determined by the enrolment in the school on 30 September of the previous year. In the case of St. Brigid's Boys' national school, there were 503 pupils enrolled on 30 September 1992, which warrants a staff of principal plus 15 assistants for the 1993-94 school year. The school also has the services of a full-time remedial teacher.

The only exceptions that can be made from the agreed staffing arrangements are in the case of developing schools or where my Department's guidelines on maximum class sizes are being breached. The school authorities applied in April 1993 to my Department for sanction to appoint a 16th assistant on the basis that its projected enrolment of 534 pupils for September 1993 met the criteria laid down for designation as a developing school.

My Department sanctioned this additional assistant on a provisional basis, subject to the condition that a maximum enrolment of 533 be achieved when the teacher took up duty, this being the enrolment required under the criteria for designation as a developing school. The enrolment in the school on 30 September 1993 was 516, which was 17 pupils short of that laid down in my Department's letter of sanction.

A strict policy is operated in relation to teaching posts sanctioned on a provisional basis. Such posts are withdrawn if the conditions specified by my Department are not met. The school was allowed to retain the post up to the Christmas vacation in order to minimise any disruption in the school and to give the school authorities time to formulate alternative arrangements for classes.