This article is from page 59 of the 2005-11-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 59 JPG
MORE than 3,500 Clare school children are struggling for attention in classes of up to 34 pupils.
Hard-pressed teachers are also strug- gling to cater for a further 3,000 pupils in classes of up to 29 pupils according to INTO Executive Representative for Clare, Declan Kelleher.
Teachers, parents and management groups are now to take part in one of the biggest school demonstrations in the county on Monday next at 8 pm in the West County Hotel to highlight con- cerns over class sizes.
As well as over crowding the educa- tion partners are also concerned about “multi classes” in small schools. Ban- She National School, near Kilkee is a two teacher with 52 pupils and eight classes. Under current Department of Education legislation they will have to wait until next year for the third teacher, as legislation says they require.
There are many other small schools in the county in a similar situation, said Mr Kelleher.
Last March the INTO and a number of schools from the county met with local politicians in Ballyea National School to highlight their concerns with over crowded class rooms.
This time round hundreds of parents and teachers from affected schools are expected at the meeting. Elected rep- resentative from Clare have also been UO Aloe b
“The meeting will highlight the unac- ceptable number of pupils per primary school class as well as the failure of the government to make any moves to implement the promised reductions in class size contained in their programme for Government. Inputs to the meeting will be made by the national Parent’s Council Primary, Primary School Man- agement and the INTO,” said Mr Kel- leher.