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Class sizes set to grow due to cost-saving measures
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/08/2011.
Tags: Education And PoliticsClass sizes in schools throughout Ireland could become larger as part of a drive by the government to cut costs.
It has been suggested by the Department of Education that increasing the number of students in a classroom is the most effective way of saving money, which could equate to 75 million euros per year, the Irish Times reports.
The proposals, which are set to be announced at the next budget, would affect both primary and secondary schools and may have serious implications for trainee teachers.
It was stated by the publication they will make it harder for newly-qualified educators to find a post, with more than 1,100 positions being left unfilled.
Overcrowding in classrooms is already a problem in some parts of the country, in particular counties surrounding Dublin, while Ireland currently has the second-highest average class size in the EU.
Figures released by the government last year showed more than 106,000 pupils are taught in classes of more than 30.
One union, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, has called for a maximum size of 25 for single-age primary school classes, with all Key Stage 1 lessons to be limited to 20 pupils.
Written by Donal Walsh
JohnMc
(04-08-2011 11:55)
When I went to school in the 80's/90's there was always 31 or 32 in the class... and no, I didn't live 'out in the sticks'. I went to school in a town that had a Boys school & a Girls school.
All I am hearing is Unions, who got the numbers lowered over the years, giving out if it isn't going their way!
Put the numbers back up and save the country some money!
John
Nuala
(05-08-2011 21:14)
I am a secondary school teacher and the smallest class I have has 26 pupils, with most a full to the brim 30 - Can't imagine how nice it would be for all involved to have 19 students to spread my time with!
emer
(26-08-2011 08:49)
Just reading this with interest. I'm primary teacher and will have 32 children this year. Last year had 29 and prior to that over 30 so the larger classes not new really. Problems occur with this when there are so many children who need help in the class and this is not because they are special needs, its because they are young children struggling to learn to read, write and operate their learning in a very different learning environment to the classes of the 70's, 80's and even 90's. The demands made on the children to learn and achieve by the teacher aka the Department of Education is enormous, they are exhausted. So parents and commentators out there don't forget the children are your children, they are young, they are not adult machines and they need your support and help and concern, they need you to read to them, talk to them, support them in their homework because with the big class sizes, I am really sorry but they won't always get it from me because there are just too many and the day in the classroom is just mad at times
mercyteacher
(06-08-2011 16:12)
Many people don't really realise the implications of putting the Pupil-Teacher ratio up from 19 to 20. It's not really that teachers will have one extra student in their class (because, let's face it, most secondary teachers are well used to having far more than 19 students in the average class). It's more to do with the number of teachers that the school is allowed employ. A school of 600 students is allowed have 31.58 permanent, full-time teachers on their staff currently (600 divided by 19). If the PT ratio increases the school drops down to 30 teachers, meaning that there are 34.76 hours less on the timetable per week. This means that subjects will be cut; this is especially severe on non-exam subjects such as PE, Religion, Choir, SPHE, but also severe on subjects that might be quite specialised, and have a lower uptake, such as Physics, Applied Maths, Classical Studies, Chemistry. There are plenty of ways that the Department of Education could save the 75million that this sort of cut would generate. Have teachers ever been asked for their suggestions?