The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) has stated that the good work done to ensure more children remain in school may be negated if proposed education cuts continue.

General secretary of the TUI Peter MacMenamin said that while the news that more young people are staying on to take the Leaving Certificate is welcome, a dropout rate of one in six is still "unacceptably high" and could worsen due to a lack of funding.

Last week, a new report revealed that there has been a significant rise in the number of students completing their secondary education, with boys especially showing a large improvement in retention rates.

He explained that many middle-management positions, such as year heads, are going unfilled as incumbents retire and are not replaced due to saving drives.

"As a result of the loss of these positions, there is often no longer anybody in a position to monitor and intervene in cases of bullying or absenteeism," he explained.

"This results in potentially small problems quickly escalating into large problems," Mr MacMenamin added.

Written by Donal Walsh
 

Comments