Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 February 2012
92 Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to a request by a school (details supplied) in Dublin 10 in respect of the appointment of an additional teacher, in view of the fact that a detailed submission has been made to him in support of the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11858/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the reforms to the teacher allocation process, existing posts are being used to put in place a network of over 2,500 full-time resource posts in close to 1,700 base schools throughout the country. These posts will be allocated on a permanent basis and the teachers in them will undertake NCSE approved (low incidence) resource hours in the base schools or in neighbouring schools. This approach builds on the interim arrangements that operated in 2011 but in a more structured and transparent manner. While individual schools may have their own particular preferences the Department has to look at it from a national perspective. The overall objective with these reforms is to enable the teacher allocation and redeployment process to operate more smoothly and efficiently within the new climate of fixed ceilings on teaching posts. The changes are designed to give a more equitable distribution of existing posts between schools, give earlier certainty to schools about their staffing allocations and, where possible, simplify and streamline existing processes and give greater autonomy to schools.
It also has to be borne in mind that the previous clustering arrangements included inherent inefficiencies whereby schools could retain full-time posts on less than 25 hours (some on as low as 19 hours). The new GAM arrangements operate in 5-hour blocks to facilitate, as appropriate, the day to day operation of GAM support between schools and also ensure that full-time GAM posts are fully utilised (25 hours in each post). The Department will also be requiring any surplus capacity in full-time resource posts to be fully utilised before it approves part-time resource posts for neighbouring schools.
All schools have now received their resource teaching allocations for the current school year, based on the number of valid applications for resource teaching support received by the NCSE to 25th November, 2011, and taking into account my Departments Employment Control Framework obligations which limits the number of overall resource teaching posts which may be allocated to schools.
Applications for resource teaching hours received after 25th November, 2011, will be processed by the NCSE in the context of the 2012/13 school year applications process. In the interim, schools should support pupils for whom new applications are being made from their existing resource teaching allocations, until revised allocations are made for the September 2012 school year.
Where a pupil meets the criteria for Resource Teaching support, following diagnosis or enrolment to a school which does not have any existing allocation of resource teaching support, the NCSE may make an allocation for such pupils from the small pool of remaining posts which have been reserved for such emergencies or eventualities.
