Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 10 May 2000

Vol. 518 No. 6

Written Answers. - School Staffing.

Liam Lawlor

Ceist:

575 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for Education and Science if additional staffing will be provided for a national school (details supplied) in County Dublin which has been compelled to put two classes together in order to have teachers available for two junior infant classes next September and which is still unable to meet the demands for additional junior infant places. [12714/00]

The staffing of a primary school for a particular year is determined by reference to the number of pupils enrolled in the school on 30 September of the previous year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule, which is drawn up annually following discussions involving the managerial authorities and the INTO.

The enrolment of the school in question on 30 September 1999 was 508 pupils. The number of pupils required to retain the 18 mainstream class teacher for the 2000-01 school year is 510.

Accordingly, the school will lose the 18 mainstream class teacher at the end of the current school year. If the school authorities are confident that the enrolment of the school on 30 September 2000 will exceed 538 pupils they may apply to the primary payments branch of my Department for the allocation of a post under the "developing school" criteria.

The criteria for granting "developing school" status are outlined in circular 15/99 which my Department issued to the boards of management of all schools last year.

Pat Rabbitte

Ceist:

577 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of new posts to be allocated for the coming school year in relation to teaching posts and hours in post-primary schools; the proportion of these to be allocated for home-school-community liaison; if he recognises the need to extend home-school liaison hours or posts to more schools; the plans he has in this regard, to approve a home/school liaison service in the case of St. Mac Dara's community college, Willington, in support of the school's needs as articulated in its submission to County Dublin VEC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12733/00]

The Deputy will be aware that I am providing an additional 1,000 teaching posts at second level in the 2000-01 school year. These extra posts are made available under the terms of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.

I recently announced that a proportion of the new posts will be allocated through the reduction in the pupil teacher ratio for appointment purposes from 19:1 to 18:1. Decisions in relation to the allocation of the remainder of the posts will be taken shortly.

A considerable expansion of the home-school-community liaison scheme at second level took place in the current school year when all schools designated as disadvantaged were invited to participate in the scheme. The position of the school referred to by the Deputy will be considered in the context of any future expansion of the scheme.
Barr
Roinn