Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 931: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a need to maintain a full-time resource teacher at a school (details supplied) in County Galway; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that the current enrolment is 133; that there are five mainstream class teachers which means an average class size of 26.6 with one classroom alone having 31 pupils; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10662/05]

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 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 for the school year 2004-05 is a principal and four mainstream class teachers based on an enrolment of 129 pupils at 30 September 2003. In addition, the school has one learning support teacher based in the school sharing with one other school and one full-time 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 referred to by the Deputy was 135 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.

A revised system for allocating resource teachers and learning support teachers was announced last year and a review of this system is taking place with particular reference to its impact on small and rural schools. I expect this review to be completed in the coming weeks in time to be implemented for the next school year.