INTO slams budget proposals for small schools

Irish National Teachers’ Organisation general secretary, Sheila Nunan, will address Clare delegates at a meeting in Ennis on Monday night amid growing concern about the impact of proposed cutbacks on small and disadvantaged schools.

Delegates from the four main branches of the INTO in Clare will attend the West County Hotel at 7pm.
According to official figures, 17% of Clare children are in classes of fewer than 20 pupils; 63% are in classes of between 20 and 29 and 20% are in classes of over 30.
INTO national executive representative, Séan McMahon has urged Education Minister Ruairi Quinn to rethink his proposals, which he claims will devastate small schools.
The recent budget announced changes to the way small schools will be staffed over the next three years. Under the plan, a school that got a third teacher for 49 pupils this year will see that number rise to 56 pupils over three years. This would mean a school of 50 pupils will only have two teachers next year with an average class size of 25 pupils.
A school which this year receives a fourth teacher for 81 pupils will see that number rise to 83 next year and 86 in two years’ time.
The department has claimed this cutback will mean the loss of 100 teaching posts in 2012 and the loss of a total of 250 posts over the three years.
The Mullagh school principal warned this would have a huge impact on small schools where teachers are teaching two, three or four class groups in the same room. He predicts it is not a case of one extra child per class but five or six.
He also slammed the changes to staffing in small schools, which applies retrospectively.
“Next year’s teacher allocation will be given to schools on the basis of pupil enrolment last September.
“Last September a school with 50 pupils could have expected three teachers next year. The budget changes mean that school will only have two teachers.
“In many cases the number of pupils could increase next year but the teacher numbers could go down,” he said.
The INTO has claimed a number of other proposed changes such as the way in which learning support and resource teachers are allocated will hit small schools hard.
Mr McMahon also expressed grave concern about the impact of cutbacks on disadvantaged school under the Deis scheme, which Minister Quinn has put on hold subject to a national review.
He criticised restrictive planning policies in rural areas over the last 20 years, which has resulted in an exodus from West and North Clare into the urban centres.
While overall school population in Clare has increased by 20%, he warned distribution is problematic with under-utilisation of rural schools while schools in urban areas like Ennis, Shannon and Killaloe are struggling to cope with numbers.