Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 572: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department will appoint a full-time third classroom teacher to a school (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the possibility of provision of an extra classroom and teacher for this school. [9000/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by applying the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year to a staffing schedule agreed between my Department and the education partners.

The system for allocating teachers to primary schools is based on ensuring an overall maximum class size of 29 in each school. Where some classes in a school have class sizes of greater than 29, it is generally because a decision has been taken at local level to use their teaching resources to have smaller numbers in other classes.

In accordance with the staffing schedule, the staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy for the school year 2004-05 is a principal and one mainstream class teacher based on an enrolment of 38 pupils at 30 September 2003. In addition, the school has the services of a learning support teacher and a resource teacher.

My Department will finalise the staffing schedule for the 2005-06 school year shortly and thereafter notify school boards of management. According to data submitted to my Department by the board of management, the enrolment on 30 September 2004 in the school was 36 pupils. The staffing for the 2005-06 school year will be determined on the basis of this figure and in accordance with the agreed staffing schedule. An application for improved accommodation to meet the school's needs into the future is under consideration in my Department. Assessment of the application will include any projected increase in enrolment or staffing at the school. The application is being considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2005-09.