Small schools in fear following ‘selective leaks’
Ahead of his attendance at the annual congress of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) this morning, Mr Quinn’s pre- election commitment on the future of rural schools was read to delegates by INTO president Anne Fay last night.
In Feb 2011, he said Labour had never supported the forcible amalgamation of rural schools. But his comments in a weekend interview about a forthcoming review by his department is causing concerns in rural communities.
He said the report suggests the optimum size for a small school should be four teachers, which is about 80 pupils under current staffing levels.
Although his department has stressed that no decisions have been made and the Government will not force those with three teachers or less to close, Ms Fay said over 1,000 of the country’s 3,300 primary schools now fear for their very existence.
“We got selective leaks of this report to a Sunday newspaper by the minister which I believe shows a lack of respect for parents, teachers, and communities all over Ireland,” said Ms Fay, who is principal of a three-teacher school in Fermoy, Co Cork.
She said Mr Quinn’s 2011 commitment, made in a letter to a teacher, was another debased pre-election promise to add to what is becoming a very long list.
Last night, a department spokesperson said the report was commissioned by the last government and last year’s budget had gone some way to addressing cost efficiencies in small schools.
They are traditionally given more favourable staffing levels but these are being clawed back over the next few years.
But Ms Fay told delegates that teachers are angry at changes to terms and conditions that focus on saving money and not on making the education system better.
“There are more pupils but relatively fewer teachers, operating costs are rising but government funding is falling. There are more special needs pupils but teaching hours are being cut back, there are more disadvantaged children but supports are being reduced or in some cases eliminated,” she said. Ms Fay did not express any view on the union’s ballot on the proposals for a replacement of the Croke Park pay agreement. But she said the loss of allowances for any new professional development qualifications will affect input to education research.
