Vol. 519 No. 5
338 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science if an additional teacher and class will be approved by his Department to cater for applicants wishing to start school in September 2000 in Lucan boys' national school who do not yet have confirmation of a place from the school. [14246/00]
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. The staffing schedule is determined for a particular year following discussions with the managerial authorities and the INTO.
The enrolment in the school referred to was 508 pupils on 30 September 1999. The number of pupils required to retain the 18th mainstream class teacher for the 2000-01 school year is 510. Accordingly, the school will lose the 18th mainstream class teacher at the end of the current school year. If the board of management of the school are confident that the overall enrolment of the school on 30 September 2000 will be in excess of 538 pupils, they may apply to the primary payments branch of my Department for the allocation of a post under the "developing school" status.
The details regarding the granting of a teaching post under the "developing school" status are outlined in circular 11/00, which my Department will issue to the board of management of the school in the near future.
With regard to accommodation, if the school feels that it has a requirement for an additional classroom, it should bring this matter to the attention of the planning and building unit of my Department in Tullamore.
339 Mr. Coveney asked the Minister for Education and Science if he can confirm any recent changes in qualifying requirements for schools to receive a full-time ex-quota remedial teacher; and if the number of pupils required for a full-time remedial teacher has increased for individual schools from 500 to 600. [14309/00]
All schools in the free education scheme have an entitlement to an ex-quota allocation in respect of remedial education with effect from the beginning of the current school year. The actual entitlement of an individual school for a particular school year is determined by the enrolment at the end of the preceding September. Schools with an enrolment of 600 or more pupils qualify for the allocation of a full post while schools with enrolments below 600 qualify for the allocation of 0.5 of a post. However, schools which had been specifically allocated a full post by my Department in respect of remedial education prior to the commencement of the current school year retain that allocation irrespective of enrolments in the school.
