Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position with regard to staffing in primary schools. The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools are published annually on the website of the Department of Education and Skills. The key factor in determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual schools is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September, as I am sure the Deputy is well aware. The staffing schedule is the mechanism used for allocating mainstream teaching posts to all schools. It operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. It currently operates on the basis of a general average of one classroom teacher for every 28 pupils, with lower thresholds for DEIS band 1 schools. The staffing schedule also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent appeals board.

As part of the budget 2012 decisions, there is a phased increase in the number of pupils required to gain and retain a classroom teaching post in small primary schools with four teachers or fewer. The first phase of the budget measure took effect from September 2012. The final phase of the budget measure takes effect from September 2014. The Department has expanded the existing appeals process so that it is accessible to the schools that are affected by the budget measure. In this regard, small schools will not lose their classroom post if they are projecting sustainable increased enrolments in September 2014 that would be sufficient to allow them to retain their existing classroom posts over the longer term.

Drumboylan national school has two classroom teachers in the current school year based on an enrolment of 17 pupils at 30 September 2012. The enrolment at 30 September 2013 was 17 pupils, which entitles the school to one classroom teacher for the coming school year. The school is projecting an enrolment of 20 pupils for 30 September 2014.

The school submitted an appeal to the February 2014 meeting of the Primary Staffing Appeals Board under the small school criterion, seeking the retention of its second classroom post for the 2014-15 school year based on the projected enrolment of 20 pupils at 30 September 2014. A projected enrolment of at least 20 pupils at that date is required for the school to remain as a two-teacher school. Given that it projected 20 pupils, the appeal was provisionally upheld by the Primary Staffing Appeals Board. This retention of the second teacher in Drumboylan national school is conditional on the school achieving the projected 30 September 2014 enrolment figures. The board of management of the school has been notified of this decision. The appeals board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.

The Government recognises that small schools are an important part of the social fabric of rural communities. They will continue to be a feature of our education landscape. In these extremely challenging times, all public servants are being asked to deliver our public services on a reduced level of resources, and teachers in small schools cannot be immune from this requirement. The Minister is mindful of the concerns of smaller schools and rural schools. Our overall primary school enrolment has been growing rapidly in recent years and this is going to continue. In managing the resource consequences of this, it is important that decisions on school provision and organisation are based on a rigorous evaluation of requirements and needs, not just at a local level but also at both regional and national levels.

Our current configuration of small primary schools has been examined by the Department in a value for money review. This review took account of the ethos of schools and the locations of small schools relative to other schools of a similar type. The Minister is currently considering the report of the value for money review of small primary schools and he is doing this in consultation with his Government colleagues. His intention is to publish the report on completion of this consideration process. I am not in a position to give a precise publication date at this time.

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