Primary teachers call for halt to last phase of cuts

Primary school teachers have called on the Government to suspend the final phase of the cuts to teaching numbers in smaller schools.

Cuts to the favourable teaching numbers for smaller schools have been brought in on a phased basis since Ruairi Quinn’s first budget as education minister in December 2011.

In a phased implementation ending in September, he has increased the number of pupils needed by small schools to maintain current staff levels or to get an extra class teacher.

The INTO and Catholic Primary Schools Management Association have written jointly to the Department of Education requesting to engage in talks on the condition that the proposed changes to the staffing schedule for 2014/2015 are suspended.

Speaking at a press briefing at the INTO annual conference in Kilkenny, Mr Quinn said that while he welcomed the response to engage with talks, the savings he announced through the cuts “have long since been cashed and I can’t uncash them”.

INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan said Mr Quinn’s remarks were “worrying”.

“I am concerned that he made the remark about them being cashed in,” she said. “We simply have to suspend that schedule for next year to establish the bona fides of talking about sustainable small schools’ minimum condition.”

In a motion later in the day, delegates called on patrons of schools to appoint an independent School Support Person(s) in each diocese to assist boards of management in schools where pupil numbers are in decline.

The role of the SSP would be to examine future demographic trends; the overall parish situation; distance from other schools; and ethos and language in schools where enrolment falls below 26 pupils.

If, on examination, continuing falling enrolment is projected, then the boards of management should be given certain recommendations to create a sustainable school, including an option of amalgamation.

Speaking on the motion, INTO vice-president Sean McMahon said what schools needed was a coherent, long-term, and resourced strategy for sustainability. He said that, instead, recent budgets were leading to forcible closure or amalgamation of schools and acknowledged that there were negative connotations associated with “amalgamation”, which could be upsetting for teachers, especially principals.

“Many of those most impacted live in rural Ireland, under the constant guilt complex of becoming the principal that closed their community’s local school,” said Mr McMahon.

Edel Pelly, from Beara branch, said no principal wanted to close a school.

“No community wants to close a school,” said Ms Pelly. “There needs to be a system in place to make recommendations and smooth the way so that a principal and staff are not to blame.”