Jack Wall
Ceist:272 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science when a national school (details supplied) in County Kildare will have a second teacher appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7900/98]
Written Answers. - Teacher Appointments.
In March 1997 the outgoing Minister for Education agreed staffing arrangements for primary schools for the current school year with the Irish National Teachers' Organisation. These agreed arrangements were based on the allocation of all surplus posts available for redistribution from the demographic dividend. The Deputy will be aware that An Action Programme for the Millennium contains a commitment to give primary education a clear priority in allocating resources. In this context, the programme specifically states that one teacher schools with ten or more pupils will receive a second teacher.
Currently, there are 103 one teacher primary schools with ten or more pupils in the country which includes the school to which the Deputy refers. Since there are no teaching posts available to me for allocation to these schools, I am currently examining a range of options with a view to identifying the most appropriate way to fulfil the Government's commitments to one teacher schools.
Richard Bruton
Ceist:273 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some parents have had to raise money privately to employ a Montessori teacher in a remedial capacity; his views on whether this is clear recognition on the part of parents of the quality of the Montessori training for remedial teaching; and if he is willing to recognise Montessori for remedial purposes as an interim measure pending the outcome of the present forum on early education. [7901/98]
I am anxious to ensure that all children with a remedial need have access to the necessary level of support through the remedial teaching service. I am most anxious to avoid a situation where individual parents would find it necessary to fund such a service privately. I am currently reviewing provision across the special needs area, including the remedial area, to ensure that all available resources are deployed to best effect. At present, a total of 1,242 remedial teachers are in place in the primary sector. It is my intention to continue to develop the service.
Irish primary school teachers, including remedial teachers, are class teachers as distinct from individual subject teachers and must, therefore, be qualified to teach all aspects of the curriculum. Therefore, all teachers seeking recognition must achieve a standard and competence in the Irish language. This standard can be achieved by undergoing and passing the Irish qualifications examinations "An Scrúdú la hAghaidh Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge" both written and oral or its equivalent.
Teachers with the Montessori qualification which is awarded on completion of the three years' full time course in the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) College, Mount St. Mary's, Milltown, Dublin 14, are already recognised by my Department as qualified to teach in special schools for students who are mentally handicapped, emotionally disturbed or hearing impaired.
The recent National Forum on Early Childhood Education considered all aspects of early childhood education, including the Montessori method. The outcome of the forum will have an important input to a White Paper on Early Childhood Education which I intend to publish later this year. It would not be appropriate for me to pre-empt the outcome of the forum by commenting on possible future roles for Montessori teachers at this stage.