Primary teachers protest against loss of staff due to 'broken promises'

PARENTS, TEACHERS and management from schools due to lose teachers in September protested against "broken Government promises" outside the Dáil last night.

Last year, the Government promised to reduce the staffing schedule in primary schools by one point each year from September 2008 to September 2010 to tackle overcrowding.

In December, it was announced that this promise would be broken and, last month, the Department of Education and Science wrote to dozens of schools telling boards of management to let teachers go this summer.

Last night, the INTO said primary school pupils would pay the price for Government failure to tackle overcrowded classes. "Broken promises translate directly into classes of more than 30 pupils," said INTO general secretary John Carr. "In these over-crowded classes, pupils do not get a fair chance."

Last night's protest was timed to support a Fine Gael motion in the Dáil calling on the Government to reverse the decision to tell schools to let teachers go. The motion called on the Government to prevent named primary schools from losing a teacher for the school year 2008/2009 in addition to other schools that might be affected.

The Republic has the second most overcrowded classes in Europe. St Kevin's Junior National School in Donaghmede, Dublin, has 113 children, one pupil short of the number needed to keep their threatened teacher.

"Because of the broken promise on class size," said principal Nora Hammil, "we will be forced to have a class of 35 senior infants.

"This group includes six children for whom English is not their first language, one child with diagnosed special needs and children with a wide variety of abilities."

Ms Hammil said there were 28 children enrolled for junior infants next September with a further five on a waiting list. She said the parents in the school were appalled that the Government was actually increasing class sizes significantly in the school instead of the promised reduction.

"We have a fully equipped classroom. We have the pupils. All we need is the teacher."