Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 110: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding career guidance councillors (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39493/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

While difficult choices had to be made to identify savings across my Department's budget, the Government has tried to protect front line services in 2012.

The Government has protected the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level, prioritised targeted support for the most disadvantaged schools and maintained the overall number of resource teachers and SNAs to support children with special needs.

Until now, a specific resource was provided to all second-level schools for guidance in addition to the standard teacher allocation. In future, schools must meet their guidance requirements from within the overall resource provided by the normal staffing schedule. Individually schools can continue to make provision for guidance and counselling. Decisions on how this will be done will be taken at school level in the best interests of students and to ensure the best use of resources available. I am confident school management and teachers will continue to work together to meet the needs of the students in their care.

In this way, the main teacher allocation can be maintained at 19:1 for schools generally, while schools will have discretion to balance what they allocate for guidance against the competing demands of providing subject choice. The change that has been announced gives schools greater autonomy in how they allocate staff resources to best meet the needs of their students. I have also provided for the filling of 300 Assistant Principal posts in second-level schools over the level originally planned. This will ensure that schools have sufficient management positions to ensure appropriate supports are available for all students. This is an important change which will reduce the impact of the moratorium on the filling of posts of responsibility in second level schools.

A key priority for me is to continue to prioritise and target available funding at schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage. All 195 second-level school in DEIS will be given targeted support by a more favourable staffing schedule of 18.25:1. This is a 0.75 point reduction compared to the existing PTR of 19:1 that applies in non fee-paying second-level schools.

Psychologists from my Department's national educational psychological service NEPS, are present in schools across the country and provide a range of supports. These include the promotion of positive mental health among the general student body and assistance in supporting pupils with particular social, emotional or behavioural difficulties. The NEPS also encourages the development of structures among teachers and schools care teams.

The change to guidance allocations must be seen in the context of the major challenges we have as a Government in trying to shelter public services to the greatest extent that we can in these exceptional times. My Department will be notifying schools of the impact of the budget changes in January, 2012.