A Department of Finance embargo on jobs in primary schools is "strangling" the schools' ability to deal with issues such as bullying, the general secretary of the INTO, Mr John Carr, has said. Kathryn Holmquist reports.
Bullying is one of the problems dealt with by the School Development Planning Initiative, under the terms of Sustaining Progress. An embargo is in place whereby teachers who leave the initiative are not being replaced.
This means that the SDPI - which also deals with homework and behaviour - have effectively been withdrawn, Mr Carr said.
So far in 2003, five of the 34 people in the planning service have left and no replacements have been appointed. It is believed that this number is likely to increase later in the school year.
"Attempts by primary teachers to meet the terms of Sustaining Progress are being undermined by this embargo," Mr Carr said.
"The School Development Planning Initiative was never overstaffed and the work undertaken to date has been invaluable in setting up the process of planning in schools," Mr Carr said.
"How is the same level of service to be provided when there is an effective cutback of 15 per cent in staffing levels? Up to 600 schools in Wexford, Cork, Sligo, Donegal and Limerick are affected by this cutback. There are likely to be further reductions in service in other parts of the country if this embargo is not lifted.
"Schools are being told of these cutbacks at present. They are being told that School Development Planning remains a requirement of the system and of Sustaining Progress. At the same time they are told that the assistance and support previously in place is being withdrawn. It is the same as the Minister for Transport expecting new bus routes to be established but cutting back on the fuel to run the buses."
The INTO is also calling for the establishment of a forum of teacher supply to address the crisis in teacher shortages and to plan adequately for future years; a reduction in class size in line with a commitment given in the Programme for Government; and the expansion of the existing Supply Panel Scheme to cover all schools.