‘This is going to be horrific for the children’

ONLY one of the 10 classes at St Mochulla’s National School has more than 30 children but almost two-thirds of its pupils will be forced by government cutbacks to study in classes of 33 or more next year.

There are currently 10 teachers catering for the 261 boys and girls in the school, the only one in the Co Clare village of Tulla.

But, under Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe’s proposed cutbacks, there will only be nine teachers next September even though principal Brian Torpey expects to have more than 270 children on the roll book.