Further cuts to teacher numbers threatened

THE Government may have to cut non-classroom teachers again next year to keep within education staffing limits as part of the EU/IMF bailout, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has been told by his officials.

A 104,930 ceiling on education sector staff by the end of 2014 is almost 2,000 higher than at the end of last year, mostly to accommodate rising primary and second-level pupils without raising class sizes. But with further savings on teachers’ pay required in the next two years under the National Recovery Plan (NRP) underpinning the bailout, it appears Mr Quinn will have to make further cuts to teacher numbers beyond those already planned for next autumn.

Around one-third of the country’s 32,300 primary teachers work in special needs, language support and other support teaching roles. But from next September, almost 600 extra teaching posts for Traveller pupils are being cut and extra staff for a range of second-level programmes are to be axed.