INTO calls for all DEIS schools to be included in class size reduction

The Department of Education has today published a report on education spending following yesterday’s budget.

INTO notes the totally inadequate decision of the department to extend the planned class size reductions to DEIS band one senior schools only, ignoring DEIS band one junior and vertical schools. It is essential that all our disadvantaged schools receive this reduction. We are seeking an urgent meeting with the Department to discuss this matter and to seek urgent clarification on the supports, including staffing supports, to be made available from the additional two-million-euro allocation for the DEIS programme in 2020/2021.

INTO General Secretary John Boyle said:

For too long the department has overlooked our DEIS schools when modest reductions in general class sizes were secured. Singling out a small minority of these schools and ignoring the rest is a cause of great concern. This decision makes no sense considering the evidence that class size matters most for younger children and for those suffering disadvantage. The children in both of those categories are left out of this wrong-headed plan, which must be revised to include all DEIS band one schools”.

INTO will keep members informed as we seek to engage with the department on this issue.

The full departmental report on budgetary measures for primary education is here