Update: Supporting Small Denominational Schools, 1st July 2015

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her willingness to continue her
support for smaller urban or rural schools with a denominational ethos; and if
she will make a statement on the matter.
– Bernard J. Durkan.

My recent announcement of two new policy measures to better support the
sustainability of small schools clearly shows my support for the smaller
schools.  The first measure provides for improved teacher retention thresholds
to be introduced for some small schools commencing in the next school year.  It
also provides for an improved teacher appointment threshold for isolated  one
teacher schools.  These are schools that are more than 8km distant from the
next nearest school of the same type of patronage and language of instruction.
The second measure is the development of a voluntary amalgamation protocol for
the very smallest schools that have reducing enrolments and are located within
an 8km distance of a school of similar patronage and language of instruction.
Both these measures are intended to provide rural communities with security
about the future of their small schools.