The President of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation has said Donegal’s schools have reached breaking point with 3,948 pupils in supersize classrooms of 30 or more.
Many Donegal classrooms are overcrowded
Brendan O’Sullivan was visiting the county yesterday to attend meetings of the Raphoe/Convoy and Stranorlar INTO branches.
He stressed that these numbers are plainly unacceptable.
“Ireland has the second highest class sizes in Europe. The Minister for Education has presided over an increase in the number of pupils needed to retain teachers in 2, 3, and 4-teacher schools – increases that are ongoing as we speak and are in year two of a three year cycle of increases.
“It is therefore not true to say that the Minister for Education has protected class size. It is a matter of choice for the Minister and the Government, they have made the choice to increase class sizes in small schools and an increase in the pupil teacher ratio for all schools is on the menu of cutbacks to primary education being considered in the upcoming Budget.
“The choice being considered is to make savings on the backs of small children in primary schools.”
The President went on to say there are other choices: the government could consider taking less than €3.1Bn out of the economy, use part of the promissory note to achieve savings and consider taxes on financial transactions.
Brendan called on the Minister and the Government to protect primary education in the Budget and ensure that our primary school children will not be taught in even larger classes than presently after October 15th next.
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