Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 14: To ask the Minister for Education and Science, further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 614 to 618 of 17 December 2008, the number of permanent teaching posts, contracts of indefinite duration, [i]pro rata[/i] fixed term contracts and casual part-time posts created across the second level education sector between 2000 and 2008; the permanency ratio across each sector at second level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7913/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. In accordance with these rules each school management authority is required to organise its subject options within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities.

It must be borne in mind that the actual ratio of teachers to pupils in the post primary sector has improved greatly in recent years. The actual ratio includes a significant number of posts allocated for areas such as learning support, resource teaching, guidance counselling, non-national, Traveller provision etc. and is considered to be the more accurate and correct guide to provision at second level. The actual ratio of whole time teacher equivalents to pupils has reduced from 16:1 in the 1996/97 school year to just under 13:1 provisionally for the 2007/08 school year.

Information on the numbers of the categories of appointments referred to by the Deputy is only readily available for Secondary and Community/Comprehensive schools, as the individual Vocational Education Committees are responsible for the payment of their employees. The information recorded on the database for secondary and Community / Comprehensive schools indicates that there were 14,870 appointments to permanent posts in the 2000/2001 school year in Secondary and Community/ Comprehensive schools. The information indicated that there were 469 Eligible Part-Time appointments and 565 fixed term wholetime appointments in that school year.

In recent years the school managerial authorities have awarded contracts of indefinite duration to whole time and regular part-time teachers employed in their schools to comply with the agreed terms of the Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Act 2003. In the current school year there are 1,559 holders of such contracts of indefinite duration appointments in secondary and community/ comprehensive schools. There are 13,780 permanent appointments recorded. There are 3,335 Regular Part-Time appointments and 640 fixed term appointments. In a school year up to 10,000 casual and non casual teachers are employed as replacements for teachers on approved leave of absences such as maternity leave and sick leave and to provide non regular part-time teaching in the schools. The levels of teaching service provided vary substantially.

In general and by agreement at Teachers Conciliation Council up to 95% of the initial teacher allocation in second-level schools is filled by the appointment of teachers in a permanent capacity. When deciding on the number of teaching posts, if any, which may be filled in a permanent capacity in a particular school year, the school authorities must take account of the approved teacher allocation for the school for that year, the number of permanent teachers currently employed, including those on approved leave, the overall limits as to the level of permanency as agreed from time to time and the need for flexibility to cater for the needs of all of the pupils attending the school. The assignment of teachers to individual classes within the overall approved allocation is a matter for the authorities of the school concerned. Therefore, it is a matter for each school authority to determine the level of permanency. The Department does not have details on the level of permanency in individual schools or by sector.