Disadvantaged schools set to lose 400 teachers

SCHOOLS in disadvantaged areas are to lose more than 400 teachers as a result of the cuts buried in Budget 2012.

In a range of measures that avoided cuts to class sizes across all the country’s 3,300 primary schools, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn is axing almost 430 teaching posts schools were allowed keep from previous schemes after a unified programme to tackle disadvantage started in 2005.

These so-called legacy posts are in 270 primary schools and include more than 40 support teachers who gave counselling and dealt with extreme behaviour.

However, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) said these and other measures buried in the detail of the budget will take more posts out of primary classes for children who need most help. The union claimed that many of the jobs being lost would be re-allocated to schools in better-off areas.

From next year, for example, every school will get an allocation to teach the English language whether pupils need this help or not. But the INTO said most newcomer children are in disadvantaged schools, which will now have fewer teachers to teach them.

The changes also include a new system to allocate resource teachers for children with dyslexia and other learning difficulties, meaning they are based on the number of classes instead of pupil numbers. The INTO said a disadvantaged school would receive a resource teacher for every 110 pupils instead of every 80 pupils, an effective cut of almost 40%.

The union said the country’s most disadvantaged schools will also see class sizes increase, as they will be allocated a mainstream teacher for every 22 pupils, even though some get one for every 15 children in their infant classes and every 24 in more senior classes.

INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan said the various changes would devastate staffing in disadvantaged schools that suffered most from last year’s budget cuts and she urgedMr Quinn to rethink the proposals.

“For much of the last 15 years, disadvantaged schools couldn’t get trained teachers and suffered from staff turnover. In recent years, with staff stability, smaller classes and more resources, progress was beginning to be made and standards have been rising,” she said.

A Department of Education spokeswoman said the Government had prioritised targeted supports for schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage, and that some limited alleviation will be allowed for schools worst affected by the staffing changes.

She said the 22:1 staffing ratio for the most disadvantaged schools copper-fastens their favourable teacher allocation and will simplify an existing system. The department said it was no longer possible to allow some schools keep legacy posts in order to ensure resources available for disadvantage were distributed fairly, but they were being phased out over three years to allow schools prepare for gradual change.

The spokeswoman said changes to how learning support and resource teachers are allocated to primary schools have been designed to reflect current enrolment in schools.