Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 196: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will confirm having received the correspondence (details supplied) from a school in County Westmeath; if having reviewed the contents of same she will revisit the criteria for developing schools in order that children in similar circumstances are treated equally; if she will adopt the proposal in the correspondence which would be a creative and imaginative way to assist schools in these difficult circumstances and resolve the difficulty set out in the said school and other schools similarly affected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15576/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware of the correspondence referred to by the Deputy which relates to class sizes and developing schools criteria. The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued to all primary schools each year. Data submitted to my Department by the Board of Management of the school referred to by the Deputy, indicates that the enrolment in the school on 30th September 2006 was 411 pupils. In accordance with the staffing schedule (Circular 0020/2007), which is available on my Department's website at www.education.ie, the mainstream staffing in the school for the 2007/08 school year is a Principal and 15 mainstream class teachers.

The staffing schedule for the 2008/2009 school year (Circular 0010/2008) was recently published on my Department's website at www.education.ie and a hard copy is in the process of issue to all primary schools. According to data submitted to my Department by the Board of Management of the school, the enrolment in the school on 30th September 2007 was 415 pupils. Based on this enrolment figure, the mainstream staffing in the school for the 2008/09 school year will therefore remain as a Principal and 15 mainstream class teachers.

However, within the terms of the staffing arrangements for primary schools there is provision for additional posts, referred to as developing school posts, to be assigned to schools on the basis of projected enrolments for the next school year. Under these arrangements, 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. There are no plans to change these arrangements for the coming school year.

An independent appeal board is now in place to decide on any appeals on mainstream staffing in primary schools. Details of the appeal procedure are outlined in the staffing schedule and also in Circular 0024/2007 (Appeal Board for Mainstream Staffing in Primary Schools) which is available on my Department's website. The first meeting of the Appeal Board is scheduled to take place on 20 May 2008. Further meetings will be held in June and October, 2008. The closing dates for receipt of appeals are 9 May, 20 June and 10 October, 2008 respectively. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.