Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McEntee for her good wishes and for giving me the opportunity to outline the position relating to staffing in primary schools. I note the issues raised by the Deputy. The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. 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 the provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts on developing grounds, using projected enrolment for the following September, which is September 2014 in the case of the coming school year. The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools which are due to lose a teacher. Affected schools can submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent appeals board. Details of the appeal criteria are available in the staffing schedule, which is published annually on the website of the Department of Education and Skills. The primary staffing appeals board meets three times per year and the board operates independently of the Minister and the Department. Its decision is final. In addition, the staffing appeals process at primary level has been extended for the coming school year to allow schools not gaining an additional teaching post under the developing schools criterion to submit an appeal to the primary staffing appeals board. This appeal criterion is targeted at those schools that make a significant contribution to the provision of school places and so assist the response to demographic growth within their area and, as a result, are under significant pressure on their class sizes at infants level. Circular 0007/2014 provides details for schools wishing to make an appeal.

The allocation of all teaching posts is contingent on compliance with redeployment arrangements. The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers to other schools that have vacancies. The redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers is key to the Department's ability to manage within its payroll budget and ceiling on teacher numbers. The staffing arrangements enable projected enrolments to be taken into account in the case of small primary schools that are losing a classroom post as a result of the budget 2012 measure mentioned by the Deputy and schools that are experiencing significant increase in their pupil enrolments. The Department regards this approach as reasonable and appropriate. It would not be practical or logistically possible to successfully operate the teacher allocation and redeployment process if there is any further expansion of this approach regarding projected enrolments.

The configuration of classes and the deployment of classroom teachers are done at local school level. School authorities are advised in the staffing schedule to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account, such as classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment, etc. In particular, they should ensure, as far as possible, that there is an equitable distribution of pupils in mainstream classes and the differential between the largest and the smallest classes is kept to a minimum.

I note the school the Deputy referred to and the issue concerning small schools. It is a very transparent system, one that people understand and the appeal system is independent. We need to keep all those factors in the system.

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