Extra teachers will allow more students attend agricultural courses

SIX new contract teaching posts in agricultural colleges for a three-year period have been approved by the Public Expenditure and Reform and Agriculture departments.

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said this exception to the moratorium on public recruitment will allow Teagasc to significantly increase student places.

Applications for places increased dramatically this year, following year-on-year increases for the last four years. But this coincided with 17 teacher and technician retirements in Teagasc since 2008, making it difficult to accept all students.

Director of Knowledge Transfer in Teagasc, Dr Tom Kelly, said the six additional teachers will allow more students to attend agricultural courses this year, compared to last year.

“We will endeavour to accept as many students on courses as possible in the 2011/12 academic year.”

Teagasc has increased the student/teacher ratio, transferred some advisory staff into colleges, offered additional courses in regional education centres and online, contracted out teaching, increased practical class sizes, and streamlined skills assessment, in order to cater for more students.