Will the Minister review the schools that now need to have a teacher appointed for September? The Covid pandemic has skewed the figures for children enrolling in September. Children booked into schools did not materialise, such as those from other counties or coming home from abroad, while others who were not booked in for September are now coming to the classroom. Can a review be done under these unusual circumstances?

Primary schools are currently provided with class teachers on the basis of one teacher for every 26 pupils, which is at its historically lowest level. Under the programme for Government there is a commitment to make further progress in reducing the pupil-teacher ratios in primary schools and to support small schools.

As part of the budget 2021 measures, the Government has sought to deliver on this commitment by the announcement of a one-point change to the primary staffing schedule and the introduction of a three-point reduction in the number of pupils required to retain a teacher currently in a school. That has been of enormous benefit to schools nationwide.

The staffing schedule for the 2021-22 school year was published last month and all schools can now establish their staffing for the coming school year on the basis of enrolments in September 2020.  The Department has published guidance for schools that takes account of the exceptional circumstances that have arisen for those pupils who are enrolled in school but have not returned to school during the 2020-21 school year but whose intention is to do so.

It is important that schools return valid enrolments to the Department to ensure an equitable allocation of resources to schools. The staffing arrangements also include a staffing appeal mechanism and a developing post application process, which allows for schools to be allocated posts on the basis of projected enrolments.  The appeal process also contains a number of other criteria that may be applicable to some schools where their enrolments has changed.

This year the Department and the primary staffing appeals board are cognisant of the impact of Covid-19 on schools and in that context will look 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.

The primary staffing appeals board operates independently of the Department of Education.

I wrote to the Minister's office and was informed that the pupil-teacher ratio has come down and that a pupil-teacher ratio of 25:1 will operate from September 2021. Why then has a school in my constituency, Ballingarry National School, got 38 pupils in one classroom and 35 in another? It needed to have 199 at the end of September and it had 194. It now has 201 as it has gained numbers over the year, mainly due to circumstances relating to Covid. I advised it that there is an appeal process, but on Friday evening, it received a reply turning it down for an extra teacher. Did anyone actually look at this appeal? This is genuine.

To be clear, the primary staffing appeals board is an independent board and operates independently of the Department. There is an opportunity for appeal. I cannot comment on the specific school the Deputy mentioned as I am not familiar with it or the format of its appeal. However, we did successfully reduce the pupil-teacher ratio to 26:1 this year. We also included the three-point reduction for the retention of a teacher. To be fair, that is a significant advancement for schools being able to hold onto a teacher and equally for the classroom base to be a ratio of 26:1. That is the level that schools are allocated in their entirety. If some classes are less than that and some are greater, that is a matter for the schools themselves distribute their teaching staff.

Another school in my constituency has said it will be practically impossible for it to open in September as a junior class has 28 children and it is impossible for them to be in pods. It is losing a teacher in its appeal, which was also turned down. Under any circumstances, is it possible to have 38 students, two SNAs and a teacher in one classroom? That is 41 people in one room. It was turned down just because the process says "No". Is the Minister satisfied there will be 38 unvaccinated students, an unvaccinated teacher and two unvaccinated SNAs in a single room? What exactly are we doing here? The process is that where a school loses or gains a teacher, it will not get that teacher until 12 months later. In the case of Ballingarry National School, it has the pupil numbers but it now has to do without a teacher until September 2022 because the process does not allow for it. These are exceptional circumstances.

I thank the Deputy. There has been a three-point reduction in the number of pupils required to hold on to a member of staff. For many schools, that has been very successful and beneficial. For others, it might have required a reduction of four, five or six. That is the position but there has been a significant advancement.

Equally, there have been advancements regarding appeals, which can be ongoing. I cannot comment on the specifics the Deputy referred to but schools are entitled, where they have further information, to appeal again and make reference to the layout of the room, the number who can be facilitated in a room, the number of children who will be in a room, and so on. That is the basis for making an appeal. If there is a specific case where a class cannot be accommodated in a specific room, as we saw last year, accommodations can be made. I ask that the school address that in its appeal.