Eleven schools to lose teachers

ELEVEN schools across Galway are set to lose teachers as part of cuts announced by the Government late last year but according to a senior INTO figure in the county, the true picture is far worse. Those South Galway schools reaching the new heightened threshold for pupil numbers by September will not be able to appoint teachers until next year, it emerged this week.
Speaking to The Clare Champion, Joe Killeen, principal of Lough Cutra National School and the INTO executive representative for Galway and Roscommon, pointed out many schools in the area will see their pupil numbers rise to above the new thresholds for teacher allocations but will not be allowed to hire teachers until 2013.
The reason for this is that teacher allocation for the 2012/2013 school year will be based on the 2011/2012 pupil numbers, even in cases where the numbers rise above the new enrolment thresholds. Schools that increase their pupil numbers this September, and have the numbers entitling them to a new teacher, will not be able to appoint a teacher until September 2013.
“Several schools would have been able to make appointments in September. They cannot now do so and this negatively impacts on pupil-teacher ratios,” Mr Killeen stated.
“There are a number of schools in this position but there is one particular school in South Galway that currently has two teachers and 50 pupils. Their pupil numbers are likely to increase to more than 54, which will be the threshold to get a third teacher by this September. They will now have to wait until 2013 to get that extra teacher,” Mr Killeen explained.
As well as driving pupil-teacher ratios up and, according to the Government, delivering savings for the exchequer, losing teachers and not being able to appoint ones where the pupil numbers are there has a knock-on effect in terms of education.
“In terms of learning support provision for schools, this is delivered in proportion to the number of classroom teachers in the school. What that means is that each teacher gives an entitlement to five hours learning support per week. A two-teacher school would therefore have 10 learning support hours each week.
“In a school that will lose a teacher, they will also lose five learning support hours. Therefore, as well as having an increased pupil-teacher ratio, they will have a reduced entitlement to learning support hours for the pupils that are in that school.
“In schools that cannot appoint a teacher, despite the necessary increase in pupils, they will miss out on five additional learning support hours,” Mr Killeen outlined.
Eleven schools across Galway will each lose a teacher in September. They include Scoil Náisúnta Cill Conaill, Kilconnell, Ballinasloe; Kilasolan National School, Caltra; Scoil Naomh Iosef, Castlehackett, Belclare, Tuam; Ballymacward Central, Ballinasloe; Scoil Náisiúnta Baile an Leasa, Dunmore; Cloghans National School, Tuam; Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Ballycar; Scoil Naisiunta An Ard Mhoir, Carna and Scoil Mhuire, Toureen, Bealdangan.
In addition, two disadvantaged schools in the county will lose a teacher each under the DEIS cuts being enforced by the Education Minister. These are Scoil Náisiúnta Mhic Dara, Carraroe and Scoil Mhuire, Clifden.