Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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71. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she intends reviewing the criteria for eligibility for the status of small school for both voluntary and ETB secondary schools in view of the fact that many very small schools do not have this status and that there seems to be no way for them to apply for this status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13973/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Teacher allocations to all post primary schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts for the 2023/24 school year was communicated to schools in January and are available on the Department website.

A number of Education and Training Boards (ETBs) receive teaching posts on a historical basis which are described as small school posts. There are 29.5 posts allocated to these ETBs on an ex-quota basis. These posts were introduced over thirty years ago in the 1988/89 school year in recognition at the time of a higher proportion of small post primary schools in the old VEC sector. Individual schools were not awarded a distinct status relating to their smaller size. Today, these posts are assigned to the ETBs with the distribution of the posts, or part thereof, to schools being a matter for the Chief Executive of the ETB in question.

This older scheme has been replaced by additional measures and newer schemes to assist all small post-primary schools to provide a balanced curriculum. However, the original allocation remained in place for those ETBs involved.

The Department is always very mindful of the challenges some small schools face in providing as broad a curriculum as possible. In the early 2000’s the curricular concession process was introduced which built on measures to support smaller post primary schools and provides for school management authorities who are unable to meet its curricular commitments within their approved allocation to apply for additional short term support. This concession is available as a short term support to enable essential curricular provision to continue and takes particular account of the needs of smaller schools and new start-up schools.

The allocation processes also include appellate mechanisms under which schools and ETBs can appeal against their individual staffing allocation. The school or ETB can submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeal Board which was established specifically to adjudicate on appeals on staffing allocations in post-primary schools. The Post Primary Appeals Board operates independently of my Department.

In the 2010/11 school year, additional supports were introduced to further support small rural post primary schools. The Co-educational Schools in a Single Catchment Area scheme provides for an additional 0.5 teaching post to a number of small schools to help maximise the range of subject choice available to their pupils. 87 posts are allocated to 174 schools under this scheme.

In 2016/17 and for the first time, all post primary schools with under 500 pupils were provided with an ex-quota allocation in respect of Deputy Principal. Prior to this, only schools over 500 pupils received an ex-quota allocation in respect of the Deputy Principal.

Teacher numbers at post-primary level have also increased by over 12,000 when comparing the 1988/89 school year with the current school year and this has led to a steady improvement in the pupil teacher ratio and average class size statistics during this period.

I am very conscious that the landscape of our Post-Primary schools has changed considerably in the intervening years and that the current allocation operation works effectively. However I would encourage any small post primary school experiencing particular challenges to contact my Department for further assistance.