Teaching conditions remain poor

ANNE HEALY found nothing to console her in the budget despite her hopes of getting some additional staff.

With only part-time resource and learning support teachers allocated to St Joseph’s National School where she is principal teacher, she is concerned that it will be a long time yet before extra personnel can be appointed.

“I’m very concerned abut the capping of public sector jobs, we could do with extra teachers rather than cutbacks. It probably means they won’t be increasing learning support or resource hours any time soon,” she said.

“There was nothing either in grants for caretaking or secretarial assistance, which means I’ll have to continue doing much of the office work myself,” said Anne.

She only has a secretary three days a week, which makes life teaching 23 boys from junior infants to second class more difficult. Answering phones or meeting visitors disrupts the education being received by her pupils. The school has one other teacher, in charge of the third to fifth-class boys.

“Thankfully, we’re not in need of major work on our building, but there are people who are in dire straits with the conditions they are teaching in,” she said.