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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 5 Nov 2002

Vol. 556 No. 3

Written Answers. - School Staffing.

Joe Costello

Ceist:

328 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science his plans to provide trained substitute teachers to service the principals' release scheme which was put in place a few years ago. [19719/02]

The release scheme to which the Deputy refers was introduced in the 2000-2001 school year to allow release time for principals in primary schools with six or less mainstream class teachers. The release time enables the teaching principal to be released for a specified number of days annually to undertake administrative, leadership and management functions within the school. Substitution cover is paid by my Department in respect of these release days. The employment of the substitute teacher is a matter for the relevant school board of management.

A number of initiatives have been undertaken by my Department in recent years to boost substantially the supply of trained primary teachers and alleviate the current supply difficulties. As part of a range of initiatives to improve teacher supply, the intake to the B.Ed. programme in the colleges of education has been increased dramatically in recent years. Since 1999, over 1,000 students have been admitted annually to the B.Ed. programme. This represents a doubling of the number admitted to the programme in 1996.
The total intake to the colleges of education in the 2001-2002 academic year was increased to a record 1,461. This compares with an intake of 500 in 1996-97. There are currently some 3,460 students enrolled and pursuing various stages of primary teacher training programmes in the colleges of education. Discussions with the colleges of education regarding a further post graduate course due to commence in early 2003 are currently taking place. My Department will also be consulting with the colleges in the near future with regard to the provision of modular type courses for secondary trained teachers with the necessary academic requirement in Irish.
Between 2002 and 2003 it is projected that some 2,700 qualified primary teachers will graduate from the colleges of education. This represents a huge increase in the number of trained graduates compared with 1995 when 291 graduated. In addition to increasing the output of graduates other initiatives have been introduced to increase the number of trained personnel. 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 qualifications are now recognised as fully qualified.
Since September 1998, all primary degree holders who hold the Higher Diploma in Education are paid as fully trained substitute teachers and, since September 2000, teachers employed in a temporary capacity holding a degree and the Higher Diploma in Education are paid on the trained basic scale for teachers.
Teachers trained in EU countries employed in primary schools are now remunerated at the trained rate pending their obtaining the necessary competence in the Irish language. EU trained teachers now have up to five years to obtain the necessary competence in the language.
Montessori trained teachers who successfully completed the full-time course of three years duration at St. Nicholas, Dún Laoghaire, which is recognised by the National Council for Educational Awards, or the Montessori qualification which is awarded on completion of the three year full-time course in the AMI College, are recognised as being fully qualified substitute teachers and are recognised to teach in certain categories of special schools, special classes and as resource teachers in primary schools.
The decision to recognise fully qualified teachers who trained outside the State to teach in certain categories of schools and classes without the necessity to hold an Irish language qualification is also contributing to an improvement in the supply of trained primary teachers.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that for the current school year I have increased by two days the total number of release days available to principals in the different categories of school. The total number of days now allowable per school year are as follows: school with principal plus five or six teachers – 22 days; school with principal plus three or four teachers – 18 days; school with principal plus zero, one or two teachers – 14 days. A circular outlining the details can be viewed on the website of my Department and it will be issued to all boards of management in the near future.
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