Class size increase means five primary schools to lose teachers [The Argus]
- Published: 04 March 2009
Source: The Argus
By Margaret Roddy
Wednesday March 04 2009
Five local primary schools are set to lose mainstream teachers due to the increase in class sizes set out in the budget.
St Malachy's NS, St Joseph's, Avenue Road, Scoil Mhuire na nGael, Bay Estate, Scoil Eoin Baiste, Fatima, and Stonetown NS, are all on the provisional list of schools due to lose teachers from September published by the Department of Education last week.
In total, eleven schools in Co Louth will lose teachers, while six will gain. The Dundalk schools expected to get an additional teacher are CBS Primary, St Malachy's Boys and Kilcurry NS.
However, INTO Dundalk branch secretary Ann McCabe warns the likelihood is that schools will lose even more teachers.
' These figures are for mainstream classroom teachers and not for the language support teachers,' she explained.
A survey carried out by the INTO last autumn indicated that over 30 teachers will be lost in Dundalk schools, and she expected that this will be the case when details of the cuts in language support teaching is confirmed.
The increase in the pupil/teacher ratio means that if there are currently 27 pupils in a class, the school will lose a teacher and the pupils be dispersed in with other classes.
For some schools, this could result in children being taught in classes of over 30 pupils.
The loss of language support teachers will have a severe effect on local schools, many of whom have a large number of international children on their rolls.
- Margaret Roddy
