ASTI: Class sizes will have to be smaller after the pandemic

The top priority for teachers surveyed by the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) was smaller class sizes. File picture: iStock

Teachers say smaller classes to reduce overcrowding is key to improving the school environment post-pandemic.

New research shows that surveyed teachers also rank adequate workspaces and improved ventilation as ways to improve the environment of schools when the country emerges from Covid-19.

Published by the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI), more than 2,500 members of the union were asked about how best to support the work of teachers.

Investment priorities

Those surveyed identified a cluster of related areas for future investment. Smaller class size was identified by the majority as the priority area. That is closely followed by allowing more time for teachers to engage in non-teaching professional work. Investment in supports for students with emotional and behavioural problems was also a priority area for future investment.

'We must build school communities which are more resilient and supportive than ever before,' said ASTI president Ann Piggott. Picture: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie

The provision of tech devices to students was also prioritised by teachers for integrating ICT into teaching and learning across education.

Training for students on how to use such devices and software was also seen as a priority.

Access for students to dedicated mental health services outside of school was also seen as a top priority for investment by those who took part in the survey — 57% of teachers and principals surveyed said access to such services for students to be well and to be effective learners. 

A further 49% of teachers said the augmentation of guidance counselling services within schools is also necessary. Another key priority is training for teachers in how to better support students with emotional and behavioural disorders.

Those who took part in the study were also invited to leave comments in an open question section.

The provision of tech devices and training in their use was another priority of the teachers surveyed by the ASTI. Picture: iStock

According to the ASTI, teachers are “going through a period of profound reflection arising from the shift to remote teaching". 

“In their comments, teachers repeatedly stressed the need for smaller classes in order to differentiate their teaching to meet the needs of each student.” 

Student wellbeing is a constant concern for teachers, according to the union.

Teachers stated that they have come to understand their students in a more holistic way and that their classroom teaching will reflect this. There was a universal concern for student wellbeing in the context of school closure, physical restrictions on social engagement and being removed from peer groups.

Ann Piggott, the ASTI president, said that teachers are saying that there can be no "business as usual" when schools reopen. 

“Before the pandemic, Ireland came last out of 36 countries for investment in second-level education as a percentage of GDP. This gross underfunding of our schools needs to be rectified. 

"Young people have experienced significant school closures, uncertainty about exams, emotional upheaval, digital poverty, changes to family circumstances, and more. 

We need to do much better for our young people post-pandemic. We must build school communities which are more resilient and supportive than ever before.