Posted by Robert Troy TD
Longford-Westmeath Fianna Fáil TD Robert Troy has been told “there is no scope” to revisit cuts that will hit schools from September
24 April 2012
Deputy Troy raised the issue of changes to the pupil-teacher ratio on ‘Topical Issues’ in the Dáil, stating that it will have a significant impact on schools for the next school year and is worrying many parents.
Deputy Troy told the Dáil: ‘The cut to the pupil-teacher ratio is a cut to front-line services which will predominantly affect small rural schools, schools of minority faith and Gaelscoileanna.’
The deadline has now passed for appeals to be made by small schools that face losing a teacher and having to cope with increased class sizes in September 2012.
Deputy Troy said: ‘Why has the Minister [for Education] put forward these proposals before he has consulted the value-for-money review which so many schools, boards of management and so on, lodged in March 2011? These reviews allowed teaching staff and boards of management to highlight where the necessary savings could be made.’
‘My local school is Ballynacargy national school, which faces losing a teacher in September due to a decrease in the number of pupils by one. There are excellent teaching staff in the school. Huge resources have been pumped in through the Department’s summer works programme over the last few years, and also through local fund raising. It is a fabulous school and it risks losing one teacher for one pupil.’
Minister of State Seán Sherlock (responding for Education Minister Ruairi Quinn) said: “There is no scope in this year’s departmental budget to reverse this measure or indeed any of the budget measures concerning teacher allocation at second level.”
Minister Sherlock also conceded that small schools are being treated differently. The Minister said: “In the case of primary schools, there is no increase in the staffing schedule general average of 28:1 for the allocation of classroom teachers at primary level. However, there is a phased increase in the pupil threshold for the allocation of classroom teachers in small primary schools.”
Deputy Troy responded: ‘The Minister has been disingenuous when he compares the pupil-teacher ratio in small rural schools and small schools with the larger schools. He is not taking cognisance of the multi-class setting in the one classroom.
On the issue of school patronage Deputy Troy said: ‘The Church of Ireland bishops stated that “No single issue has in recent years caused such a degree of anxiety amongst our communities as this one.” A number of schools in the Longford-Westmeath constituency are affected by this. The Church of Ireland and other minority faiths have come out quite publicly and said that this will have a detrimental effect on small schools.’
Following the debate Deputy Troy said: ‘I was extremely disappointed at the Government response to this issue. It is extremely important to communities across the country. It makes no sense to implement these cuts while a value-for-money review sits on the Minister’s desk unpublished. There has been no clarity or compassion from the Government here.’
Deputy Troy raised the issue of changes to the pupil-teacher ratio on ‘Topical Issues’ in the Dáil, stating that it will have a significant impact on schools for the next school year and is worrying many parents.
Deputy Troy told the Dáil: ‘The cut to the pupil-teacher ratio is a cut to front-line services which will predominantly affect small rural schools, schools of minority faith and Gaelscoileanna.’
The deadline has now passed for appeals to be made by small schools that face losing a teacher and having to cope with increased class sizes in September 2012.
Deputy Troy said: ‘Why has the Minister [for Education] put forward these proposals before he has consulted the value-for-money review which so many schools, boards of management and so on, lodged in March 2011? These reviews allowed teaching staff and boards of management to highlight where the necessary savings could be made.’
‘My local school is Ballynacargy national school, which faces losing a teacher in September due to a decrease in the number of pupils by one. There are excellent teaching staff in the school. Huge resources have been pumped in through the Department’s summer works programme over the last few years, and also through local fund raising. It is a fabulous school and it risks losing one teacher for one pupil.’
Minister of State Seán Sherlock (responding for Education Minister Ruairi Quinn) said: “There is no scope in this year’s departmental budget to reverse this measure or indeed any of the budget measures concerning teacher allocation at second level.”
Minister Sherlock also conceded that small schools are being treated differently. The Minister said: “In the case of primary schools, there is no increase in the staffing schedule general average of 28:1 for the allocation of classroom teachers at primary level. However, there is a phased increase in the pupil threshold for the allocation of classroom teachers in small primary schools.”
Deputy Troy responded: ‘The Minister has been disingenuous when he compares the pupil-teacher ratio in small rural schools and small schools with the larger schools. He is not taking cognisance of the multi-class setting in the one classroom.
On the issue of school patronage Deputy Troy said: ‘The Church of Ireland bishops stated that “No single issue has in recent years caused such a degree of anxiety amongst our communities as this one.” A number of schools in the Longford-Westmeath constituency are affected by this. The Church of Ireland and other minority faiths have come out quite publicly and said that this will have a detrimental effect on small schools.’
Following the debate Deputy Troy said: ‘I was extremely disappointed at the Government response to this issue. It is extremely important to communities across the country. It makes no sense to implement these cuts while a value-for-money review sits on the Minister’s desk unpublished. There has been no clarity or compassion from the Government here.’
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