Written answers

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

Department of Education and Skills

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

9:00 pm

Photo of Tom FlemingTom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 226: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the new teacher-pupil ratio to enable small rural schools to retain their current complement of teachers, thus ensuring that our children receive the high standard of education that they deserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9298/12]

Photo of Tom FlemingTom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 228: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Kerry may be regarded as a special case in relation to the teacher-pupil ratio thus ensuring that the children attending this school may continue to receive the highest standard of education, as this will not be the case in the event that they are losing a teacher; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9314/12]

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 241: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding staff quotas; if he will once again look at what is being proposed and bearing in mind that little if any funding will actually be saved by these measures, reconsider the position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9507/12]

Photo of Olivia MitchellOlivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 245: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if, in making the decisions regarding the number of teachers allocated to small primary schools, a school (details supplied) in Dublin 8 can be considered a special case in view of the particular purpose for which the school was set up, its historic association with the Cathedral; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9582/12]

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 263: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the appeals process be open for small schools affected by the reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio. [9860/12]

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 264: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider applying the new pupil-teacher ratio to all schools seeking an additional teacher and let the current system stand for existing schools. [9861/12]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 226, 228, 241, 245, 263 and 264 together.

My Department will be notifying schools shortly of the new staffing arrangements for the 2012/13 school year. It will include details of the staffing appeals process and appeal criterion for those small schools that are projecting increased enrolments that would be sufficient to allow them to retain their existing classroom posts over the longer term. As part of the Budget 2012 decisions, the number of pupils required to gain and retain a classroom teaching post in small primary schools will be gradually increased between September 2012 and September 2014. Even when all of these phased increases are implemented, the threshold for small schools will still be significantly lower than the minimum of 28 pupils that was required for the appointment of a second teacher in schools prior to the mid-1990s. All schools are being treated equally irrespective of the type of patronage.

The phasing of these measures can provide the schools concerned with time to consider the potential for amalgamation with other schools where this is feasible. If amalgamations take place, they will be voluntary and follow decisions taken by local communities and not by my Department.

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