Students set to suffer due to cutbacks

PRINCIPALS have warned that cutbacks are creating major problems organising timetables and subject choices for students as they prepare to open hundreds of second-level schools in the coming days.

In a rare public statement, school heads who are members of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI), said they are having severe difficulties and finding it almost impossible to finalise class timetables because of uncertainty over teacher allocation and the range of cutbacks taking effect this term.

The Principals and Deputy Principals’ Association (PDA) said its members at around 300 vocational, community and comprehensive schools, said problems are also caused by a range of other cutbacks announced since last October for the new school year.