Pupils and teachers feel the squeeze

THE protection of class sizes may be heralded as a success for Ruairi Quinn but with more than 30 children being taught in six of its 10 classes, Budget 2014 is no reason to celebrate at Ballybrown National School.

As principal at the school near Patrickswell on the outskirts of Limerick City, Joe Lyons acknowledges another hit to staffing schedules would have been his nightmare scenario for staff and pupils.

“We have 35 in one class this year, because kids simply don’t arrive in the same numbers every year. The really bright children can get on in any class but there’s less individual attention for weaker children,” he said.