Meath schools set to lose teachers as budgets slashed

A FINE Gael TD has predicted that Meath schools will be 'hardest hit' by the budgetary cuts in education as they already are 'at bursting point with pupil numbers'. The prospect of teacher job losses, including major cutting back of special language classes for 'newcomer children" in primary education, removal of grants for the transition year programme and for books for needy students, in addition to the ending of games training resulting from the abolition of substitute teachers, has led to anger and upset for Meath pupils, parents and teachers. Announcements of the results of the budgetary cuts in education were made in schools on Monday. The cuts have brought an outraged reaction from public representatives as well as teacher organisations. FG TD Damien English, predicting the drastic effects for Meath education, said: 'If you look to Navan alone, the Government has pretty much put on hold any new school building projects'. The Navan and District INTO branch secretary, Rosemary Fahey (a teacher at St Ultan"s Special School, Navan), identified one school in Meath which alone had 150 newcomer (non-Irish national) pupils. 'Some of these children have no English,' she said. The budgetary announcement was of a change from 18:1 to 19:1 in the pupil/teacher ratio but Ms Fahey predicted that it would lead to nine to 10 teacher job losses in Navan alone. The reaction in schools was that people were 'absolutely shocked and horrified'. Teacher numbers were being set back to the level of three to four years ago. The deputy principal of St Joseph"s Mercy Convent secondary school, Mary Mulligan, said that, with an enrolment of some 550 students, the school was set to lose one and a half teachers. The effects on games, which has been particularly upsetting for youngsters, is due to the need for supervision by teachers of these activities. Supervision is also required for school trips and the compulsory field trips for Leaving Cert geography students, she said. For example, 50 students go on a field trip who must be accompanied by two teachers. These teachers each leave behind eight classes of up to 30 students each, or 480 students with no adult during that day. As substitute teachers have been targeted for budgetary cuts, teachers will not be able to leave classes to supervise these external activities. The measures also affect uncertified sick leave for which there will be no substitute teacher provision. The book grant for needy students is now to apply only to schools with disadvantaged designation. The girls in Ms Mulligan"s school were 'shocked, annoyed and upset' when school principal Vincent Donovan announced the measures to classes on Monday last. A parents" council meeting to discuss the measures was scheduled for last night (Tuesday). Meath councillor in the Navan area, Tommy Reilly, described the measures as 'draconian' and was horrified at their implications, particularly in primary schools. He feared for the future of the less well-off while the children of the wealthy would fare okay. 'I am calling for a complete change in the measures they have taken; I want it dropped, particularly at primary school level,' said Cllr Reilly. In recent years, considerable progress has been made. Another Navan area councillor, Jim Holloway, said that what the budget proposed for both primary and second-level schools was 'a disaster' and 'regressive'. He said it was 'once again deciding that attending to the needs of those who are most needy is an option that we can"t afford'. A former teacher (now a full-time public representative), Cllr Holloway said he had worked in a second-level school at a time when the learning support needs of so many in that school were not being met. Progress had been made until the latest cuts, he said. He added that he was particularly dismayed 'as one who spent my entire career in the classroom and having spoken to so many teachers who in the absence substitution will be required to bundle the students together and resort to supervision only'. 'What a waste of the talents of our teachers, their training and their time, he said. Deputy Damien English counted 32 cutbacks in education 'as students, teachers and schools pay the price'. He said numerous teachers, principals, students and parents had contacted him regarding the cuts. He accused the Government of trying to bring the cuts in 'under the radar' as they were not accused in the Budget speech. He challenged the Minister for Education, Batt O"Keeffe, to tell the truth about the extent and scale of the cutbacks in all education budgets for schools in County Meath. The minister must stop acting as the Taoiseach"s 'puppet' at the Cabinet table, he said.