Minister faces wrath of parents, teachers and unions
Primary schools have been informed by circular that they must retain the pupil-to-teacher ratio of 27:1 for the school year 2008-09.
As a result, it is expected that 140 schools will lose teachers, and a further 200 will be unable to make the appointments they had planned for next September.
The Government had pledged to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools by one pupil every year until 2010, eventually bringing it to 24:1. The commitment was made under immense pressure from parents, teachers and unions in the run-up to the general election.
Labour education spokesman Ruairí Quinn said that "the actual level of commitment of Mary Hanafin to primary school communities is now laid bare."
It was "inexplicable" that the second-richest state in Europe has "some of the most overcrowded class rooms anywhere," he added.
But Minister for Education Mary Hanafin defended the Government’s record on class size.
“I made it clear when I announced the education budget for this year that we would not be able to reduce the class size this year because we have major pressures of putting in additional teachers all over the country,” Minister Hanafin said.
She claimed it was only 50 primary schools out of 3,200 which would lose teachers next year.
“It’s very much our intention to meet our commitment to reducing class size,” Ms Hanafin told RTE’s News at One programme. (Sources: Irish Times, Irish Independent)
3 Responses to “Minister faces wrath of parents, teachers and unions”
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March 12th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice shame on me!!
It is time for parents, teachers and management to act and to act decisively.
March 16th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Once again it is those in society who can’t speak up for themselves who suffer. It is now time for all the partners in Education to bring this minister to book. Classes are too large!!!
March 21st, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Why do we put up with this? More and more students are entering Second Level without the basic literacy skills. Is this due in some part to the inability of Primary Schools to retain students in lower classes until they are ready to progress further? They cannot be ‘kept back’ due to pressure of large classes coming after them and to the level of new pupils who must be given places in already overcrowded classrooms? Sensory defects are not being diagnosed until the child has reached such a level of frustration that they are incapable of absorbing sufficient skills to enable them to become independent adults capable of contributing positively to their community. Something needs to be done now before we are all plunged into complete ararchy.