Delegates wary of minister’s vow on closures

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn failed to convince teachers there will not be further pay cuts or small rural school closures.

He told the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation annual congress in Cork that a report he intends to bring to Cabinet says that a four-teacher school is the optimum, minimum size for smaller schools.

But while the value-for-money review by his department says it would make teaching and learning more manageable, as no teacher would have more than two class groups, Mr Quinn insisted the report does not mean there will be forced closures of schools with one, two, or three teachers.

“There is, and will continue to be, a need for small schools to exist in rural and isolated communities,” Mr Quinn told delegates. “Rather [than forced closures], this national policy would mean that over time any reconfiguration of schools would be guided by that optimum minimum size.”

Mr Quinn later told reporters that the value-for-money review, commissioned by the previous government, takes account of the additional costs amalgamations would add to budgets for school building and transport.

However, his words offered no reassurance to delegates who spoke on a motion seeking an improved campaign to protect small schools.

The policy is seen as a way to force them to decide on amalgamations, instead of having it decided by the minister or his department.

Carmel Greally, teaching principal of a rural two-teacher Galway school, has 31 pupils. Her colleague teaches 28. She said Mr Quinn has a noose around the neck of small schools.

“It’s a slow bleed. He’s killing us slowly,” said Ms Greally. “All this talk of viable and value for money — what are we at? Education has to be about more than money.”

East Clare delegate Maria Gold said the nature of small and rural schools is not properly understood by these exercises, as pupil levels at schools like hers have fluctuated between 61 and 80 pupils over the last five years.

“Our intake in infants can vary from two pupils to 14 pupils. Our local Labour TD asked me why we can’t take in the same number each year,” she said, to derisive laughter.

Mr Quinn also told the conference that part of the law that established the Teaching Council in 2006 will take effect from Nov 1, means only those registered with it can be paid by his department. This should end the employment by schools of unqualified teachers and will give the council regulatory powers, including the ability to hold disciplinary hearings and remove licences to teach.