Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 259: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will investigate the request of the family of a person, details supplied, in Dublin 12. [21364/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The primary school curriculum is designed as an eight-year course, including a two-year infant cycle followed by six years in standards from first to sixth, with children progressing to the next grade at the end of each school year. The allocation of a child to a particular class in a school is a matter for the authorities of the school and the child's parents. A decision to allocate a child to a class out of normal sequence may be made by the school following detailed consultation with the parents and following careful consideration of the educational and social needs of the child.

The parents of the child referred to by the Deputy should discuss the matter fully with the school concerned. It should also be noted that the following conditions are set down in the Rules and Programmes for Secondary Schools regarding the criteria for the recognition of pupils at second level. They state: "A recognised pupil means a pupil: 1. who is not less than 12 years of age on the 1st day of January of the school year; 2. who, as a rule, has completed a full course of primary education; and 3. who is following an approved course." If any part of the criteria for entry to post-primary school is not met, for example, if a full eight-year primary cycle is not completed, the matter would be referred to the inspectorate for investigation and recommendation. Issues which would be considered by the inspectorate would include the age of the pupil, the circumstances on which the decision was made to allow the pupil to skip a class out of sequence at primary level and the social development of the pupil.