Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 137: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her proposals to address the issue of higher than average pupil/teacher ratios with particular reference to the needs of the commuter belt or areas of rapidly increasing population; if she will review or update the procedure whereby the allocation of teachers is determined on the basis of enrolment on 1 September 2006 in any given year, to take account of the likely enrolments in the course of a year arising from a new population influx; if she will in tandem therewith, provide the necessary resources to meet the accommodation needs arising; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25947/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in staffing at both primary and post-primary level in recent years. Next September there will no less than 4000 extra teachers in our primary schools, compared with 2002. Not only is the average class size in our primary schools down to 24, but there is now one teacher for 17 pupils at primary level, including resource teachers etc.

Children with special needs and those from disadvantaged areas are getting more support than ever before to help them to make the most of their time at school. Indeed, with the thousands of extra primary teachers hired by this Government, recent years have seen the largest expansion in teacher numbers since the expansion of free education. Over the next two school years even more teachers will be put in place both for the above priority areas of disadvantage and special education and also under a reduction in the mainstream staffing schedule.

The staffing of a primary school for a particular school year is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on the 30th September of the previous school year and by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued annually to all schools. My Department has no plans to change this arrangement.

A

Under the staffing arrangements for primary schools, there is provision for the allocation of an additional post to a school where the school experiences rapid growth in its enrolment. In such cases, an additional post, referred to as a developing school post, may be sanctioned provisionally where the projected enrolment at 30th September of the school year in question equals or exceeds a specified figure. If the specified figure is not achieved on 30th September, sanction for the post is withdrawn.

For the current school year the threshold for getting a developing school post was reduced specifically to help schools that are seeing large increases in enrolments each year, as is the case in the commuter belt areas or areas of rapidly increasing population. 170 such posts have been sanctioned in the 2005/06 school year, compared to 105 in 2004/05.

At second level too major progress has been made. The pupil-teacher ratio at second level has been reduced from 16:1 in the 1996/97 school year to 13.4:1 in the 2004/05 school year. This reduction has been achieved through the creation of almost 1,800 posts and the retention of over 2,000 posts that would otherwise have been lost due to falling enrolments. This Government has shown a clear determination to improve the staffing in our schools and we will continue to prioritise this issue going forward.

I am conscious of the issue raised by the Deputy and in particular the pressures for places in some schools and colleges in the greater Dublin area and indeed in those areas within commuting distance of Dublin which are experiencing major population growth. To this end my Department is prioritising the provision of new and enhanced educational facilities in these areas. The prioritisation criteria which were recently revised in consultation with the Education Partners allocates a top priority band 1 rating to school building projects in such areas.

My Department is included among the prescribed authorities to whom local authorities are statutorily obliged to send draft development plans or proposed variations to development plans for comment. As a matter of course meetings are arranged with local authorities to establish the location, scale and pace of any major proposed developments and their possible implications for school provision so as to ensure as far as possible the timely delivery of the required education infrastructure.

The areas covered in the first phase of this approach to school planning include north Dublin, south Louth and mid Meath in one plan and a separate plan for the N4/M4 route running from Leixlip to Kilbeggan and including Maynooth, Celbridge, Kilcock, Edenderry and rapidly developing villages and towns on that route. Any additional school accommodation required as a result of these plans will be addressed in the context of the School Building Programme. I am satisfied that these measures will enable us to build on the progress made to date and respond ever more effectively to emerging need.