Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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717. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to schools that are scheduled to lose teachers on the new enrolment numbers in order that they could have the continuity necessary to manage the Covid-19 difficulties. [32493/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources (teachers) provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally, irrespective of location. For the current school year, it operates on a general average of 26 pupils to every 1 teacher (26:1) which is historically the lowest ever allocation ratio at primary level. In DEIS schools, the staffing schedule operates at a more preferential allocation ratio.

This year the Department and the Primary Appeals Board are very cognisant of the impact of COVID-19 on schools and in that context has looked carefully at all decisions on the allocation of teaching posts where schools have reduced enrolments to ensure that all decisions are reasonable and all schools are treated fairly.

A blanket freeze on the normal arrangements for allocations for one cohort of schools could disadvantage all other schools of similar size, who may have lost teachers in recent years. It is an important feature of the staffing schedule that all schools are treated equally and fairly.

Each school setting is different in terms of physical layout, available space, student numbers and staffing; schools themselves are best placed to decide on the necessary changes/reconfigurations to maintain physical distancing. The Department has been working closely with those schools who are experiencing particular difficulty in implementing and maintaining physical distancing arrangements in classrooms.