THE principal of a Southside college has claimed that unemployed adults might be excluded at the beginning of the next academic year if a recently announced increase in the pupil-teacher ratio for Post Leaving Cert (PLC) courses is not reversed.
According to Michael Challoner, principal of the Inchicore College of Further Education, the school could lose as many as five of its teachers under new rules introduced by the Government in the last budget.
Adults seeking further education and school leavers typically undertake PLC courses to heighten their job prospects.
In the budget, the Government increased the pupil-teacher ratio for PLC courses from 17:1 to 19:1, from next September.
It is estimated that schools providing PLC courses, such as the Inchicore College of Further Education that are under the patronage of the City of Dublin VEC, will lose a total of 48 teachers between them.
The pupil-teacher ratio increase will also result in the loss of 200 teachers at schools providing PLC courses nationwide.
Mr Challoner said that because his school is located in Dublin 8, many of the students are from disadvantaged backgrounds.
He said the increase in the pupil-teacher ratio could mean that some prospective students could be turned away next September because of a lack of resources.
“If we were to lose five teachers this would mean a reduction in subject choices and a reduction in some of the services that we currently offer, such as guidance to students,
? he said.
“People who might have been hoping to come in on a one-year training course or a one-year PLC in childcare, healthcare, tourism or sport with hopes to move on to college or into a job could find that there won’t be a place for them next autumn.
?
Michael Moriarty, the general secretary of the Irish Vocational Education Association, said the increase in the pupil-teacher ratio would mean a substantial restructuring and restriction of what is being delivered at colleges of further education like the one in Inchicore.
“We need to get people upskilled and reskilled and back to work,
? he said.
“One of the key agencies delivering that is the VECs, and yet the Government is cutting back on the extent of the programmes we can deliver.
?
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said the Government decided to raise the pupil-teacher ratio for PLC courses to the same level as all free second-level schools – 19:1 – from next September.
“This decision is being made at a time when the Government has succeeded in protecting class sizes in primary and free second-level schools for the coming year,
? the spokesperson said.
“This change will reduce the number of teaching posts by 200 in PLC and may lead to some reduction in subject choices for students. It is now up to the CEOs of each VEC to look at the resources available to them and to work with their principals and staff to ensure they can continue to deliver programmes.
?