Schools fight back against Budget cuts

Profile by Linda O'Reilly Updated: Thursday, 15th December, 2011 12:30pm

Rural national schools in County Cavan have said that they are determined, in spite of Budget cutbacks, to continue to provide first class education for their pupils and to resist any reduction in their teaching staff.

Changes by the government to the staffing schedule for schools (the minumum number of pupils that they must have on their rollbooks to retain their teachers) mean that schools are under increasing pressure to sustain their total enrolments or face losing a teacher. The government is increasing this figure for schools with up to four teachers every year between now and 2014. There are 44 national schools in Cavan in this bracket. In the case of two-teacher schools, falling below the required enrolment figures could spell possible closure or amalgamation.

Full story in this week's Anglo-Celt.