Into hails breakthrough on future of small schools

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation today has welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Education and Skills of changes to staffing in small schools.

The union said the measures would help to sustain a network of required small schools, especially in rural areas of Roscommon and Galway .

The reintroduction of retention figures at which schools will be able to retain existing teachers will provide a measure of stability to small schools in the event of a fall in numbers, the INTO maintains.

The new retention schedule for the 2015/16 school year will be: 19 pupils rather than 20 to retain a second teacher; 53 pupils rather than 56 to retain a third teacher and 83 pupils rather than 86 to retain a fourth teacher.  

The Minister also announced a new appointment and retention number for a second teacher in isolated schools (more than 8km from the next nearest school of the same patronage and language of instruction) of 15 pupils rather than 20 at present.

Joe Kileen, National executive member of the INTO representing Galway and Roscommon, said the changes would be welcomed by teachers in those schools and by the school communities they served. He also welcomed confirmation that the recommendations of the Value for Money report on small schools have not been accepted by government.

“These measures will make a significant contribution to sustaining a network of required schools in rural Ireland,” he said.

“These staffing improvements in the smallest schools take into account the challenges for teachers in those schools,” said Mr Killeen.

He added that the voluntary amalgamation protocol for very small schools with falling enrolments could help to create sustainable school communities into the future if matched by necessary capital funding for agreed amalgamations.

“Schools need certainty about their future,” said Joe Killeen. He said the protocol would assist boards of management in schools where pupil numbers are in decline to examine future demographic trends, distance from other schools, ethos and the language of the school.