ASTI demands State investment to help schools recover from pandemic

According to the figures, County Cork had the highest number of overcrowded classrooms, with 253 classes with more than 30 students. Picture: Ben Birchall

Investment in education is the key to achieving the safe reopening of schools and to helping the education system recover from the damage inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

That’s according to the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI), which has called on the Government to commit to pump more money into second-level education.

“The fact that Ireland ranks in last place out of 35 countries for investment in second-level education as a percentage of GDP, and has done so for several years, is no longer acceptable,” Eamon Dennehy, the new ASTI president, said.

“Teachers have been enduring an enormous and unsustainable workload while students have missed out on key education services.” 

Schools’ experiences of difficulties recruiting and retaining second-level teachers have “bedevilled” the system for several years, he said, adding now is time to address the root causes behind this.

“The high levels of precarious teaching contracts and pay inequality for teachers in the earlier years of their careers ensures that the system is not best placed to meet the challenges that the coming years will present," he said.

It cannot be allowed to continue.

The call from the ASTI comes as new figures released to Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, Sinn Féin education spokesman, and TD for Cork South Central, via parliamentary question show 2,505 classrooms across the country with 30 students or more during the school year.

According to the figures, County Cork had the highest number of overcrowded classrooms, with 253 classes with more than 30 students.

This was followed by schools in south Dublin, which had 169 overcrowded classrooms.

As part of Budget 2020, an improvement of one point in the appointment threshold in primary schools was introduced, meaning class sizes on average across the country are at a lower level.

However, there are countless classes that are “far too big, in buildings too small, and not fit for purpose”, Mr. Ó Laoghaire said.

“Given the large class sizes, coupled with historically small classrooms, it is no wonder that many schools struggled to find space to implement social distancing this year."

The pandemic has shone a light on the fact that our education system is underfunded, understaffed, and overcrowded.

He said if ever there was a time to tackle this issue, it is now. 

"Classes of 35 or 36 are a disgrace to our education system and we need to end it as soon as possible.” 

Norma Foley, the Minister for Education, has previously said that any further reductions in the staffing schedule will be considered in the budget process.

A commitment to reducing class sizes is included in the programme for government.

• Eamon Dennehy is a teacher of engineering at Heywood Community School and a member of the Laois Branch of ASTI. He served as ASTI vice president from 2020 to August 2021 and previously served in a number of national and regional roles.