Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills following his Budget announcement of 2013 and his Department’s decision in relation to teacher student ratio of 1 to 19 in PLCs and colleges of further education, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the impact of this decision will result in the loss of five teachers in Inchicore College of Further Education and approximately 50 to 55 teachers in the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee Colleges and the success rate in institutes of further education with the vocational education committees provide access to those who have been long-term unemployed or even disadvantaged in their own education some 20 to 30 years ago and now seek an opportunity to retrain, re-educate and seek a second chance of career development; if he will examine this decision which will impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55776/12]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The pupil-teacher ratio for Post Leaving Cert (PLC) courses - which are mainly geared at school leavers and adults returning to education - is more favourable than the ratio in second level schools. The Government has decided to raise the pupil teacher ratio for PLC courses to the same level as that which applies in all free second-level schools – 19:1, from next September.

This decision is being made at a time when the Government has succeeded in protecting the class sizes in primary and free second-level schools for the coming year, ensuring that our limited resources are rightly focussed on the children in our education system.

While it would be preferable not to have to make any changes, it is hard to justify providing more generous pupil-teacher ratios to PLCs which educates adults, than second-level schools which cater for teenagers.

This change will reduce the number of teaching posts by 200 in PLC courses and may lead to some reduction in subject choices for students. The further education sector has expanded rapidly over the past few decades, developing many innovative programmes for its students. It is now up to the CEOs of each VEC to look at the resources available to them and to work with their Principals and staff to ensure they can continue to deliver programmes which closely meet the needs of both students and employers.

PLC providers have been enrolling significantly above their allocation of places in recent years, and I do not expect that this measure will impact on the number of PLC places available.

This necessary change will result in an estimated saving of €12mn in a full year. As the change will be introduced at the start of the academic year in September 2013 the savings from Sept to Dec 2013 will be €4mn. It is not possible to amend this measure without introducing additional Budget measures in education which would impact on other frontline services.

There will be no change to the number of PLC places sanctioned by my Department. City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee (CDVEC) currently have an allocation of 457 teaching posts. Their revised allocation will be 409 teaching posts.

These changes will not take effect until September 2013. In the meantime CDVEC will have an opportunity to plan for the reduced allocation across the schools/colleges under their remit.