Three Mayo schools to keep teachers following announcement

Three Mayo schools to keep teachers following announcement


Ciara Galvin

THREE primary schools in Mayo will keep a teacher this year thanks to the new retention scheme schedule announced by the Minister for Education.
Cill Mhor Iorrais, Belmullet; Glencastle National School, Bunnahowna and St John’s National School in Ballyhaunis will remain three-teacher schools for 2015/2016 thanks to the new retention schedule.
The schedule will see schools with 19 pupils rather than 20 retain a second teacher, 53 pupils rather than 56 retain a third teacher and 83 pupils rather than 86 retain a fourth teacher.
The announcement was welcomed by teachers’ union INTO and described as ‘a security for small schools’ who are facing a decrease in pupil numbers.
Speaking to The Mayo News following the announcement, INTO representative for Mayo and Sligo, Pat Stenson said he was delighted with the announcement after what he described as a ‘crucial couple of weeks’.
The row back on the increase of numbers, introduced four years ago, will mean the sustainability of small schools who were concerned with pupil decline according to Mr Stenson.

‘Degree of control’
“Small schools needed security, parents teachers and the community had a level of uncertainty about schools. This announcement will bring a degree of control to schools and brings an option for amalgamations,” said Mr Stenson.
Asked if this move will help tackle the issue of rural decline, Mr Stenson said although schools have a part to play and are important assets in communities, a school in every village and town would not solve the problem.
Mr Stenson said the announcement has brought a sense of security for teachers who had previously been ‘looking over their shoulders at pupil numbers’.
“The old retention schedule was making it very difficult to keep teachers and the loss of a teacher in a three to four teacher school has a huge affect,” he said.
The Minister of Education also announced a new appointment and retention number for a second teacher in isolated schools (more than 8km from the next nearest school of the same patronage and language of instruction) of 15 pupils rather than 20 at present.
Mr Stenson also welcomed this change outlining that schools which cannot amalgamate and have low numbers deserve ‘additional support’.
Mr Stenson acknowledged the input of An Taoiseach Enda Kenny with whom he had various meetings with in relation to the retention matters and said the Taoiseach was ‘very interested’ in finding a solution to the issue.