Class Size - Staffing Circular 2009/2010 09/02/09

Statement by John Carr, INTO General Secretary, On Class Sizes

9th February 2009

Cutbacks in education while bankers get bailouts is a national disgrace

The INTO has strongly condemned the formal announcement by the Department of Education and Science that class sizes in primary schools are to increase saying the news will come as a hammer blow to hundreds of primary schools all over the country. The union was reacting to the publication by the Department of the staffing schedule for primary schools which sets out the number of teachers each school will have next September.

General Secretary John Carr said hundreds of teachers will lose their jobs in schools as a result of this decision. He said many of these teachers could face unemployment as they will not have the right to be redeployed to other schools.

In addition, hundreds of teachers who qualify this summer will face unemployment because of the scarcity of teaching jobs which the union says is a direct result of government cutbacks.

"By this decision, government will add a significant number to the already unprecedented unemployment figures," said Mr Carr. "Given that Ireland already has the second highest class sizes in the EU this decision is a national disgrace."

"Class sizes could be reduced in Ireland for a fraction of the money being used to bail out the banks," said Carr. "It appears there is billions in the national coffers for banks, builders and farmers but only small change for primary education."

ENDS.