Teacher Unions Oppose Front Line Staffing Cuts [into.ie]
- Published: 21 June 2011
Press Release
Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland,
Irish National Teachers’ Organisation,
Teachers’ Union of Ireland
The three teacher unions today expressed their united opposition to further cuts in frontline school staffing. The unions made their call as talks with the Department of Education and Skills on school staffing began this afternoon (Tuesday 21 June).
The talks getting underway today result from the four year national recovery plan published last November which signalled further cutbacks in teacher numbers from September 2012. The plan committed the Department to consult the education partners to provide them with a chance to identify a range of cost cutting measures for government to consider. However it clearly stated that if “alternative feasible measures to deliver these savings cannot be identified, appropriate increases in the classroom teacher allocation schedule will be introduced”.
Sheila Nunan, General Secretary of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation, said Irish class sizes at primary level were the second highest in the EU. She said there was no room to increase class sizes in primary schools, most of which are overcrowded. “More than 100,000 pupils are in classes of more than 30 pupils while the average class size at primary level across the EU is 22,” she said. “There is no scope to further increase class sizes.”
Full Story: www.into.ie
