THE NUMBER of pupils in secondary schools is set to increase by 20 per cent by 2024, placing further pressure on the system.
The Department of Education predicts enrolment will increase from 316,000 to 380,000 by 2024.
Primary school enrolment is experiencing a similar boom with numbers expected to increase by 10,000 a year for the next five years.
The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) warned yesterday that further cuts in teacher numbers would force schools to drop key subjects, such as higher level maths and physics.
The union also warned about a surge in the student drop-out rate as teacher numbers fail to keep pace with rising enrolment.
TUI general secretary Peter MacMenamin said spending on education must be regarded as capital investment, rather than being seen as a source of savings in times of economic difficulty.
Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has indicated he will not entertain demands for more resources from teacher unions at next week’s annual conferences. He has told teachers: “The country is in receivership.”
Mr McMenamin said he acknowledged the difficult economic times, but “we cannot allow marginalised young people to have their life chances shattered”.
He said the second-level system was about to come under unprecedented pressure with an average of more than 5,300 additional students every September for the next 12 years. More investment was needed just to maintain pupil-teacher ratios, he said.
The TUI’s conference begins in Tralee, Co Kerry, on Tuesday.