Hanafin rules out increasing number of teachers

PRIMARY schools will not be given any more extra teachers to reduce class size before next year’s election, Education Minister Mary Hanafin insisted yesterday.

Despite the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation warning of a major public campaign, including a petition involving up to 500,000 pupils’ parents, the minister said she can make no more commitments on class size reduction before summer 2007.

She told the union’s annual congress 4,000 extra primary teachers had been provided by the Government since 2002. The minister said she made no apology for prioritising children with special needs and those from disadvantaged areas.