‘It’s terrible losing younger teachers’

THE 587 pupils of St Mary’s Primary School in Edenderry will lose almost one-fifth of its teachers next autumn, mostly because of cutbacks in teaching posts imposed by the Government.

A slight drop in the Offaly school’s numbers from 610 last year meant it would be losing two teachers anyway if there were no changes to primary staffing arrangements in October’s budget; one because the school would no longer be eligible to have a non-teaching deputy principal who must now return to class duties.

But principal Declan Downey must also let a further five class teachers go, one because schools can only appoint a teacher for every 28 pupils instead of 27 at the moment.