Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 212: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that pupils in senior infant class in Scoil San Carlo, Leixlip, County Kildare will be taught in classes of 35 pupils from September 2004; his views on whether this is an unacceptable pupil/teacher ratio; if he will allocate additional resources to the school to ensure that this situation does not occur in September 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14480/04]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule and is finalised for a particular year following discussions with the education partners.

The mainstream staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy for the current school year is a principal and 11 mainstream class teachers based on the enrolment of 312 pupils on 30 September 2002. Based on the enrolment on 30 September 2003 of 313 pupils, the mainstream staffing for the school year 2004-05 will remain at principal and 11 mainstream class teachers. The enrolment of 313 pupils is significantly less than the required minimum figure required for the appointment of a twelfth mainstream class teacher. It is open to the board of management of a primary school to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent appeals board which was established to adjudicate on appeals on mainstream staffing allocations in primary schools. Details of the criteria and application date for appeal were issued recently to all primary schools.