INTO strike move over class size

PRIMARY teachers are threatening strike action over the Minister for Education's decision not to reduce class sizes in all schools this year.

Because of the falling school population, 341 teaching posts will come available for reallocation this year. In recent years, this windfall has been used to cut the pupil teacher ratio in all schools.

However, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) claimed Ms Breathnach told it earlier this month that all the extra teachers would be allocated to her new scheme for disadvantaged schools. This is concentrated on 25 urban schools, and 25 clusters of rural schools, in which class sizes will be halved.

The INTO claims that as a result many smaller schools would lose a teacher because of falling enrollments.

"We are prepared to take necessary action, including selective strike action, in co-operation with parents and management to fight this decision of the Minister, which was in breach of the PCW," the INTO general secretary, Senator Joe O'Toole, said.

"The Department has given no consideration to the costs of building new classrooms for accommodating the extra classes and teachers she has promised the disadvantaged schools."

Ms Breathnach assured the Dail earlier this week that no two teacher school which would have lost a teacher as a result of the unchanged staffing schedule would now do so. Since the schools for the new scheme have yet to be selected, it was not yet possible to say how many additional teachers would be required, she said.