Schools vent fury at teacher U-turn

PRINCIPALS whose schools are affected by the Government decision not to increase teacher numbers in order to reduce class sizes this autumn reacted angrily to the news yesterday.

St Peter and Paul’s National School in Baldoyle, Dublin 13, will lose one of its nine teachers because it has 231 pupils this year. But it would have only needed 229 pupils if the election promise to appoint a teacher for every 26 pupils next autumn, down from one for each 27, had been kept.

“Our numbers dropped slightly last year but the pupils will be paying the price, it means this year’s junior infants who were in two classes of 17 will probably be in a single class of 34 boys next year,” said principal Donal O’Donoghue.