Schools feel impact of teacher cuts

SIGNIFICANT cuts in teaching posts at schools across the Southside will place unacceptable pressure on teachers and greatly impact on the ability of children to reach their full academic potential, it has been claimed.

In February, Southside People reported that 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.

This newspaper also reported that staff at Archbishop Ryan National School in Balgaddy, Lucan, were shocked when they were informed around the same time that the department intended to cut nine teaching posts there.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn said he was implementing cuts to schools that were designated as disadvantaged under the DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) scheme.

The Department of Education has now confirmed the level of teaching post cuts at individual schools in the area.

Figures released by the department of Education show that Archbishop Ryan primary school is set to lose nine posts, while in Clondalkin, Deansrath Community College and Collinstown Community College are to lose one each. St Kevin’s Community College is to lose 1.5 posts next September.

The department has also confirmed that St Mary’s National School in Tallaght is to lose three DEIS teaching posts in September.

The information is contained in a reply from the Minister of Education to a Sinn Féin parliamentary question.

Southside People spoke to Pat Egan, the principal of St Mary’s School in Greenhills, when details of the cuts first emerged in late February.

He said St Mary’s should be considered as disadvantaged due to the considerable degree of social deprivation in the area. He maintained 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.

“We are in the heart of Tallaght,

? he added.

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

?

Clondalkin based Sinn Fein activist, Eoin O’Broin, described the loss of teaching posts at Archbishop Ryan Primary School in Lucan as

“particularly severe

?.

Deputy Sean Crowe (SF) said the loss of three DEIS teaching posts at St Mary’s School in Greenhills in September would place unacceptable pressure on teachers and greatly impact on the ability of children to reach their full academic potential.

A spokesperson at the Department of Education said:

“Where a school is losing three or more posts an application can be made to the Staffing Appeals Board with a view to seeking to have a portion of the loss in posts deferred to the 2013/14 school year.

?

The spokesperson added that any such school could appeal the decision on the basis that it is impacting in a particularly adverse manner on its overall allocation of teachers.