Primary teachers are appointed by boards of management of the individual schools and, accordingly, I do not have information on the number of schools experiencing difficulties. I am aware that a number of primary schools are experiencing some difficulties. A range of measures have been introduced by this Government to boost substantially the supply of trained primary teachers and alleviate the difficulties.
Between the 2000 and 2001 academic years it is projected that approximately 1,900 qualified primary teachers will graduate from the colleges of education. This represents a huge increase in the number of trained graduates, as compared with 1995 when 291 graduated. I increased the total intake to the colleges of education for primary teaching in the 1999-2000 academic year to 1,283. This compares with an intake of 500 in 1996-7.
There are approximately 1,000 students again enrolled in the first year of the undergraduate training course in the 2000-01 academic year. A further postgraduate course will commence early in 2001 with a proposed intake of 280 students, bringing the total to 1,280. I have decided that the intake to the undergraduate training course for primary teachers will continue at the current level of 1,000 for the 2001-02 academic year.
Other initiatives to reduce the number of untrained personnel have also been introduced. B.Ed. graduates of St. Mary's College, Belfast, who have studied Irish to honours level as an academic subject as part of their teaching qualification are now recognised as fully qualified.