Vol. 465 No. 7
76 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Education the regulations concerning minimum teaching hours which apply in respect of vice-principals of State-funded schools; the procedures in place for the monitoring of these teaching hours as between her Department and individual school managements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10487/96]
Vice-principals in first-level schools are required to be in attendance for a period of not less than five hours and 40 minutes per day. Secular instruction comprises four hours and ten minutes of this time. In order to ensure that schools are operating in accordance with the rules for national schools, schools are frequently visited by the school inspectors who verify that the school timetable is being observed in accordance with the rules.
In second-level schools, the minimum number of hours that vice-principals should teach depends on the enrolment or the points rating of the school. The number of hours should normally be of the order indicated in the following tables. The allocation of teaching hours is, in the first instance, a matter for the management authority of the individual school. My Department examines the timetables submitted by each school and in which is outlined the allocation of classes and the number of hours taught by each teacher. The attendance of teachers in accordance with the timetable is monitored in the course of school inspections by my Department.
|
Points Rating— Vocational, Community and Comprehensive Schools |
Teaching Hours per week |
|
Up to 299 |
22 |
|
300 to 599 |
18 |
|
600 to 899 |
13 |
|
900 and upwards |
8 |
|
Enrolment—Voluntary Secondary Schools |
Teaching Hours per week |
|
Up to 300 |
15 |
|
301 to 600 |
10 |
|
601 and upwards |
8 |
