Schools in shock at teacher cuts

A SCHOOL principal on the Southside has called on the
Department of Education to explain why it is axing five teaching posts at his
school.

St Mary’s National School in Greenhills, Tallaght, is
due to lose five out of its existing complement of 24 teachers due to the cuts
announced by the Department of Education last week.

The school’s principal, Pat Egan, said staff felt
aggrieved in light of the fact that Education Minister, Ruairi Quinn, announced
last week that he was reversing cuts to other schools that are designated as
disadvantaged under the DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools)
scheme.

Staff and thousands of parents with children at
schools across the Southside were relieved last week after Minister Quinn told
the cabinet that 193 so-called

“legacy posts

? in DEIS schools would be axed.
But the minister had originally announced that a further 235 positions would be
cut.

The term legacy posts refers to additional staff that
are appointed to meet a requirement for a specific shortfall, such as foreign
language teachers.

Some 67 teaching posts at schools in the Tallaght area
alone have been retained on foot of the latest announcement.

Meanwhile, staff at Archbishop Ryan National School in
Balgaddy, Lucan, were shocked when they were informed last week that the
department intends to cut some teaching posts there.

It’s understood that staff at the school in Balgaddy
and at St Mary’s have made representations in the past to the Department of
Education based on their convictions that the schools should be designated as
disadvantaged under the DEIS scheme.

Mr Egan believes St Mary’s should be considered as
disadvantaged due to the considerable degree of social deprivation in the area.
He maintains that the school would not have been subjected to the same level of
cuts had it been designated as disadvantaged.

“We would like an explanation and a scientific review
into our situation,

? he said.

“We feel that we would qualify for DEIS Band Two
if our status was reviewed.

“The cuts have been rolled back on DEIS Band 1 and
DEIS Band 2 schools but we are getting punished further.

“We are in the heart of Tallaght. We have the same
problems as some of our neighbouring schools and yet we have no DEIS status. We
were promised a review for DEIS status in 2010 but that didn’t occur.

?

Mr Egan claimed the department had previously
recognised that the school was in a disadvantaged area. He has now urged
officials to review the school’s status in light of its current circumstances.

“Nobody has bothered to come and examine our school or
our situation,

? he added.

“We feel very aggrieved. A lot of schools in Tallaght
woke up with good news on Wednesday morning and we felt left behind.

?

Deputy Derek Keating (FG) has called on the Government
to reverse the decision by the Department of Education to cut teaching posts at
Archbishop Ryan National School.

“I have spoken with the minister’s officials and I
have told them this decision needs to be reversed,

? he said.

“The teaching
staff are shocked by the news.

“It is devastating for them. This school should be categorised as a DEIS
school, as it is located one of the most disadvantaged areas in my
constituency.

?

A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said:

“Where a school is losing three or more posts as a result of the combination of
the budget and reform measures an application can be made to the Staffing
Appeals Board.

?