Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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548. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her Department's policy regarding schools sharing subjects in order to maximise the number of subject options available to students, particularly at leaving certificate level; the way in which schools can arrange this; the number of schools currently engaging in such arrangements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18600/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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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. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website. In accordance with these rules each school management authority is required to organise its subject options within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. I recognise that teacher allocations set the parameters in relation to the number of subjects on offer in schools. However, 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. Sharing arrangements between post-primary schools can help to ensure that the range of subjects available to pupils is maximized, however my Department does not hold any information in relation to the number of schools currently engaging in such sharing arrangements.

At post primary level and in accordance with existing arrangements, where a school management authority is unable to meet its curricular commitments within its approved allocation, my Department considers applications for additional short term support i.e., curricular concessions. Short term support is needed (normally for one year but not exceeding 2/3 school years) to enable the school authority to respond to the identified difficulty in meeting essential curricular commitments to pupils within the normal staffing allocation.

In order to further encourage inter school co-operation, specific account is taken where a request involves two or more neighbouring schools engaging in demonstrable co-operation arrangements, with an overall more efficient use of resources, in order to address on a collective basis the curricular needs of the schools concerned.

Any staffing concessions will be operated in a way to encourage inter school co-operation in the provision of efficient and effective educational services to the locality served and to encourage and facilitate good school management and planning in schools. The detail of the curricular concession process is set out with the criteria for the allocation of posts and is also available on the website.

The allocation process also includes an appeals mechanism under which schools can appeal against the allocation due to them under the staffing schedules. The appeal procedures are also set out in the published staffing arrangements. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.