Education: Over 2,200 new teaching posts being created

A small cut in the pupil-teacher ratio and the creation of 2,260 additional teaching posts are the key education measures of Budget 2016.

The Department of Education and Skills is to receive an extra €144 million next year, bringing its budget to €8.5 billion.

From next September, the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level will fall from 28:1 to 27:1. This will require about 300 extra teaching posts. Some 810 mainstream teaching posts are also being created to address demographic demand.

At post-primary level, 550 additional teachers will be provided to enhance guidance counselling and school leadership.

This is in response to a moratorium since 2009 on filling middle-management posts, and the abolition in Budget 2012 of ex-quota hours for guidance counselling, leading to diminished services, especially in disadvantaged schools.

Some 250 of the extra posts will be used to enhance the role of deputy principals at post-primary level in schools with fewer than than 500 students, and to assist teaching principals at primary level.

Minister for Education and Skills Jan O’Sullivan said: “Strengthening leadership in schools is a serious issue, and part of this allocation will allow deputy principals to reduce their teaching time and focus on leadership and management.

“It will also provide additional release days to teaching principals in primary schools. This is positive news for school leadership.

“Improving guidance counselling support in post primary schools will be a priority for the remaining additional posts,” the Minister said.

Making up the remainder of the 2,260 additional posts is an extra 600 resource teachers to cater for special educational needs. These will be in addition to the 610 special needs assistant (SNA) posts announced over the summer.

The package includes a €8 million increase in funding for Junior Cycle reform, up to €17 million next year, and €43 million to implement the Lansdowne Road agreement.

The secondary teacher unions are this week to announce the result of their ballots on the agreement, having recommended a No vote to members.

Other Budget initiatives are:

* A new €80 million two-year summer works programme;

* Minor works grant allocation of €28.5 million to be paid to schools in November;

* An increase of €10.5 million for developing apprenticeships in new sectors such as financial services, travel and tourism and hospitality;

* €2 million to develop Technological Universities in Dublin, Munster and the southeast;

* €3 million allocation to the student assistance fund, and more generally for supporting disadvantaged students at third-level, with full details to be announced in the Spring;

* €3 million increase in literacy and numeracy strategy funding - up to €17 million;

* €2.5 million investment in 2016 in Music Generation programme, an initiative co-funded by rock band U2 and the Ireland Funds, a €1 million increase;

* €2.5 million increase in broadband provision at post-primary - up to €9 million;

* €5 million available in capital funding in 2016 for book-rental programmes, in addition to the €15 million grants already provided to schools each year.

The INTO primary teachers' union welcomed the reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio as a "first step towards bringing Irish class sizes into line with other countries".

General secretary Sheila Nunan said studies in the United States and Canada had shown that smaller class sizes delivered better learning outcomes, especially with younger children. The average class size at primary level is 24 compared to an EU average of 21, but a quarter of Irish children are taught in classes of 30 or more.

Announcing the headline measures in the Dáil, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin said Ireland had an "excellent cadre of highly qualified young people coming into the teaching profession" and he was glad these were now getting new job opportunities.