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Here is a press release from Frank O'Sullivan, Principal, Rathcormac NS
School to lose teacher
As a result of the government’s decision not to honour its commitment to reduce class sizes in our primary schools Rathcormac N.S. is faced with the prospect of losing one of its teachers when the next academic year begins in September.
After the general election last year, the programme for government included a commitment to reduce the average class size each year over three years.
However, in a letter to the chairperson of the Board of Management of Rathcormac N.S., the Dept. of Education and Science has stated that the post currently held by Mrs. Margaret Broaders is to be suppressed with effect from August 31.
Mrs. Broaders has been on the staff since October 2006, and is currently employed as a Learning Support teacher. Since joining the staff she has proved to be a most valuable asset to the school. Working as part of our special education team Margaret has been instrumental in developing school policies, particularly in the area of Learning Support, as well as introducing many new and exciting initiatives in the areas of literacy and numeracy. The children in both junior and senior classes have benefited greatly from the shared reading scheme, while the “Maths is Fun Week” which Margaret co-ordinated also proved to be hugely successful. The children in her daily care speak with genuine fondness for this most dedicated of teachers.
The suppression of this post will have serious repercussions for the school. Not only will the school lose a teacher with a wealth of experience and expertise in the area of special education, it will be faced with the problem of replacing her with a teacher who currently has responsibility for a mainstream class. This, in effect, means that come September, Rathcormac N. S. will probably have more pupils that are currently attending the school and less class teachers to teach them. The obvious knock-on effect of this situation will be larger classes.
The Revised Curriculum was introduced in 1999, and teachers have received In-Service training on this new curriculum each year since then. Primary teachers all over the country have embraced the Revised Curriculum. It is very much a child-centred curriculum, and places a great deal of emphasis on learning through discovery and on learning in a very practical manner. It requires a wide variety of resources and children learn through a very “hands-on” approach. In these days of technological advances where schools have access to computers, laptops, digital photography and recording, and interactive whiteboards it seems a shame that our most valuable resource –the children- should still have to sit in classes of 30. This style of education is best served in classes with smaller numbers. What this latest decision does is to increase class size in our school making it more difficult to effectively implement the Revised Curriculum.
I would urge the powers that be to review their decision not to reduce the class size in our primary schools, to honour their commitments to increasing capitation grants, to re-instate the Summer Works Scheme and to provide us with the best possible circumstances to carry out our duties in relation to the curriculum. This year our school is affected, next year it will be somebody else.
Frank O’ Sullivan (principal)
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