Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

190. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason her Department continues to pursue the construction of a new school (details supplied) even though the statistics from her Department show that there is huge over-capacity in the area and the enrolment in the eight schools in the locality has dropped from a high of 4,007 in 1981-1982 to 1,154 in the school year 2013-2014 and, in the case of four schools, the enrolments have dropped as follows, 788 to 107, 715 to 192, 336 to 96 and 244 to 99; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40676/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Permanent accommodation for the school in question is warranted to meet what continues to be a strong demand for primary education through the medium of Irish in the area served by the school in question. As well as teaching through the medium of Irish, the school is the only multi-denominational provider in the area.

While enrolments may have decreased in some schools in the area since the 1980s, this does not necessarily mean that the schools have vacant accommodation to a level which would accommodate the needs of the school in question. Pupil-Teacher ratios have been significantly reduced since the 1980s. The current pupil-teacher ratio is 28:1. In the early 1980s, however, some 77% of ordinary classes in schools had up to as many as 45 pupils in a class group. With the reduction of the pupil-teacher ratio in the intervening years, the same level of accommodation can now accommodate smaller numbers of pupils.

In addition, seven of the nine schools in the area directly concerned have urban Band 1 DEIS status, which means that their average pupil-teacher ratio is lower again at 20:1 for junior cycle classes and 22:1 at senior cycle with an attendant impact on accommodation. DEIS schools also have extra supports for pupils and parents, most of which require extra space for their delivery.

Also, in line with Government policy to support children with special educational needs, significant extra teaching resources have been made available to schools requiring corresponding accommodation such as resource rooms and learning support rooms.

The Deputy will also be aware that the primary school curriculum and pedagogies are considerably different today from those of the 1980s. This has impacted and altered accommodation requirements and room usages in schools generally.