Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 July 2013
7. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of resource teachers that will lose their jobs or have their teaching hours reduced in the 2013/14 academic year; if he will confirm that principals and school boards of management have the flexibility to employ mainstream teachers without full-time timetables into roles that should be filled by specially trained resource teachers. [32206/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraResource teaching allocations are being preserved at 2012-13 school year levels. I do not, therefore, anticipate any significant change in the overall number of resource teachers. The arrangements for the deployment of individual teachers within each school to undertake resource and mainstream provision are dealt with at local school level. It has been the policy of my Department for some time that only qualified and registered teachers should be employed by schools. This is set out most recently in circular letters 31/2011 and 0025/2013. Current recruitment procedures direct schools to ensure that teachers, including resource teachers, proposed for appointment to publicly paid posts must be registered with the Teaching Council and have qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the posts for which they are proposed.
I wish to focus on the position at post-primary level, if possible. When I was researching this matter, I discovered that a circular relating to primary schools and the allocation of learning support and resource teachers was issued by the Department. I also became aware of that the general allocation and low-incidence hours can be combined. In the context of post-primary schools which are over quota, is there a policy or circular which states that individual schools can allocate hours to mainstream teachers as opposed to resource teachers? I am aware of this happening at a particular school in Dublin which was over quota and where a resource teacher lost her position. What policy or circular governs the allocation of resource teaching hours at post-primary level?
I am not clear if I fully understand the Deputy's question. Is he referring to a situation where, as a result of a change in the number of pupils, the resource teacher was no longer required and that the school was over quota or is he referring to one where, because of a fall in overall numbers, the school was over quota in the context of its contingent of mainstream teachers and that in order for a particular teacher to remain in the school, he or she would have been given responsibility for resource teaching activities?
I am referring to the latter. As a result of changes in the pupil-teacher ratio, the school was going to lose a mainstream teacher so a decision was taken at local level to retain that teacher who then assumed responsibility for some resource teaching activities and the dedicated resource teacher lost her position. Are decisions of this nature made at the discretion of individual schools or does a departmental circular or policy govern the position?
I wish to inquire about circular 07/2012, which relates to resource and learning support hours. All-girls schools are only entitled to four hours per week, whereas all-boys schools are entitled to five. Will the Minister indicate whether he is going to change this policy in order to equalise the position between all-girls and all-boys schools?
Will the Minister indicate why schools and principals were only informed last week about the allocation of resource teaching hours and those relating to special needs assistants, SNAs, for the coming school year? I understand that the allocation regarding resource teaching was available four weeks in advance of the provision relating to SNAs. Why were both not released together?
I will be obliged to obtain specific information in respect of the question Deputy O'Brien posed. I do not have the full details in my possession and I would not be able to offer an explanation without them. I do not understand the reason for the discrimination or difference regarding the allocation of five hours to all-boys schools and four to all-girls schools. I will obtain that information for Deputy Lawlor. In light of his knowledge of the education sector, I do not doubt that what he has outlined is the situation.
In the context of the announcements relating to SNAs and resource teachers, it has always been the case that the total package is made public at the same time but I accept that clarity emerges sooner in respect of one side of the equation. I will obtain further information on that matter for Deputy McConalogue. To the best of my knowledge, SNA and resource teaching allocations have always been announced together. This is because these allocations both relate to the same special needs space. When all the details relating to both are obtained, the announcements relating to the allocations are made at the same time.
It was reported widely in the newspapers that the Minister's Department specifically asked the National Council for Special Education not to release the resource teaching allocations for a period of three to four weeks. Those allocations only arrived after the commencement of the school holidays. This has created immense difficulties in the context of trying to match up resource teaching hours among schools. As the Minister is aware, it is often the case that two, three or four schools may be obliged to come together in order to make up a resource teaching post. I am of the view that the resource teaching allocations should have been announced earlier. I was not aware that the previous practice was to announce them in conjunction with those relating to SNAs. I was of the view that in previous years the allocations had been announced much earlier. Perhaps the Minister might provide further information on that matter.
The precise details sought by the Deputy are not contained in the supplementary information provided to me. It is my understanding that they were announced conterminously - that is, at the same time - in the past. I will obtain the exact information relating to this matter and relay it to the Deputy.
