Cuts will erode students’ progress, principal warns

THE progress that boys have made in reading and maths will be eroded overnight by budget cuts to a school serving one of Cork’s most disadvantaged communities, its principal has warned.

Scoil Mhuire Fatima at North Monastery just off Fairhill in Cork City’s northside was already due to lose two of the 16 teaching staff working with its 210 pupils next September because of previous cuts.

But following last week’s budget, principal Conn Higgins said another three vital posts could be lost.

“All the work we’ve done on improving literacy and numeracy will be blown out the window. We have five learning support and resource teachers in addition to our 10 class teachers, so any child with problems gets close attention,” he said.

The school also has a home school community liaison teacher, but a dedicated language support job will be lost next year because of a fall in the number of international pupils. This will mean the remaining support teachers will have to meet the English-language requirements of newcomer children.

Prior to last week’s budget, the school was also expecting to lose another learning support teacher next autumn. However, Mr Higgins fears another two teachers will now be cut because of new arrangements for staffing of disadvantaged schools and allocating supports for children with learning difficulties.

“Our pupils’ literacy scores have improved no end due to these interventions, it’s been great to see them gradually move up from the bottom rankings,” he said.

“But if we lose two more support teachers, we’ll be back to where we were with learning support in 1990.”

The general pupil to teacher ratio changes for disadvantaged schools will probably mean one of the 10 class teachers will also be lost, reflecting changes in many schools around the country and meaning that most pupils in Scoil Mhuire Fatima will be in bigger classes next year.

“It will mean doubling up infant classes in some disadvantaged areas; it’s absolute nonsense,” said Mr Higgins.

Scoil Cholmcille CBS, Blarney St, is slightly smaller but is also likely to lose two or three of its teachers.

Principal Billy Lynch said what is described as a money-saving exercise would cost a fortune in the long term.

“There are countless studies that show how investment in early childhood education reduces later needs for resources on special education, it improves grades, productivity and children’s well-being, as well as saving huge bills on crime and welfare dependence,” he said.

“Schools in disadvantaged areas that have already taken a harder hit than others in cuts to Traveller education and special needs are a soft target.”