IPPN

Published: 20 November 2008

Source : Irish Examiner

By Niall Murray, Education Correspondent
CHILDREN in almost 300 schools look set to be affected by the cutback in English language teaching next year, according to official figures.

Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe said last month he is re-imposing a limit of two language support teachers per school for children whose first language is not English from next September, resulting in the loss of around 500 jobs.

Since last year, under a commitment in the Towards 2016 partnership deal, the Department of Education has appointed a language support teacher for every 14 students who need extra teaching in English, up to a maximum of six teachers.

Figures provided by the Department of Education to the Irish Examiner show that 258 primary schools and at least 38 second-level schools (296 in total) have more than two such staff, which they would lose next year under the proposals.

But with an estimated 14,000 extra pupils due to enrol in the country's 4,000 schools next autumn, the number of schools that would have been eligible for extra support staff if the cap was not imposed would almost certainly top 300.

Mr O'Keeffe has said exceptions will be made for schools with very high numbers of children whose first language is not English, but no qualifying criteria has yet been announced.

Until this is clarified, it means 30 primary schools with six language support teachers stand to lose four of them next year, while 37 primary and six second-level schools will each lose three of their five staff.

Another 68 primary and six second-level schools will have their language support staff cut from four to two, while 123 primary and at least 26 second-level schools would lose one teacher.

A further 800 schools have just one or two such teachers, and grants are allocated to those with less than 14 students with language support needs.

Based on these figures, around 490 of the 1,569 language support jobs at primary level and up to 90 of 450 second-level posts would be lost.

The Irish National Teachers' Organisation said the figures call into question Mr O'Keeffe's commitment to alleviate the situation for schools with a high proportion of newcomer pupils.

The union said Integration Minister Conor Lenihan made clear last month that 500 language posts at primary level were to be axed, but the figures released to the Irish Examiner prove that the claims of both ministers cannot be true.

"If the cap of two teachers is re-imposed, 500 teaching posts will be axed, leaving no room for special consideration of schools with a significant concentration of newcomer children. This should serve as a warning to schools expecting to escape the imposition of the cap on teachers," said INTO general secretary John Carr.

"All the minister is trying to do is silence schools and buy time with more promises that he cannot keep.

He said: "Schools should not be fooled by approaches from government politicians promising to make representations to the minister."