I am aware of the recent ASTI report referred to by the Deputy which is based on responses from 334 teachers of Junior Certificate science. It should be noted that school changes in subject offer is a regular occurrence. The data for schools discontinuing a science subject in the 2007/08 school year — before the increase in the pupil teacher ratio — is largely the same as the numbers discontinuing science in 2009/10.
Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. In accordance with these rules each school management authority is required to organise its subject options within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities.
In accordance with existing arrangements, where a school management authority is unable to meet its curricular commitments within its approved allocation, my Department considers applications for additional short term support through curricular concessions. This concession is available as a short term support for teaching in specific curricular areas affected by circumstances which have not yet been possible to resolve through the normal planning and management processes.
The allocation processes also include appellate mechanisms under which schools can appeal against the allocation due to them under the staffing schedules. The Board of Management of a school can submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeal Board which was established specifically to adjudicate on appeals on staffing allocations in post-primary schools. This Board operates independently of my Department.
Some of the additional posts provided for in the renewed Programme for Government are also being used for increasing subject choice in post-primary schools. This is being achieved in two ways. Firstly, additional posts are being targeted at co-educational schools in single post-primary catchment areas to support wider subject choice. This approach recognises that such schools are under more pressure to provide a wider subject choice, including options in the physical sciences, than a single sex school.
Secondly, additional posts for the coming school year are being allocation to post-primary schools that decide to work together with other local post-primary schools to increase subject choice in a town or area. This is aimed at encouraging cooperation between schools and ensuring the best use of whatever resources are available given current constraints. Furthermore it can facilitate the introduction of a subject such as Physics or Chemistry in two or more schools through the recruitment of one teacher shared between them.
The issues around subject choice, including science, can also be considered further as part of the consultations with the education partners on the allocation of the remaining additional posts under the renewed Programme for Government.
My Department is committed to enhancing the teaching and learning of science in senior cycle, and increasing the proportion of students choosing the Physical Sciences. A comprehensive range of measures to achieve this objective are funded through the Discover Science and Engineering programme at both primary and second level. Revised curricula in science were implemented in 2003 in primary schools and in junior cycle for first examination in 2006. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has developed revised syllabuses for Leaving Certificate science, but is trialling assessment approaches in schools prior to submitting its advice to my Department.