Mainstream teaching posts at gaelscoil to be reduced

Due to a recent drop in enrolment, staff at Scoil Chrónáin have been informed that there will be a reduced number of teaching posts in the school.

The Rathcoole Gaelscoil was informed by the Department of Education that mainstream teaching posts in the school will be reduced from 16 to 15.

Four senior classes have since been reconfigured into three due to the budget-dictated ratios that schools must strictly adhere to.

This means that starting on August 31st, the new school year, Rang 5 and Rang 6 groups will transition from four separate single-grade classes into three multi-grade classes.

Consequently, each of the three new classes will contain a mix of both Rang 5 and Rang 6 pupils.

Scoil Chrónáin’s projected enrolment for September is 365 for September 2026.

As long as the pupil teacher ratio remains at 23:1, the school will need 376 children on the September 30th to ensure 16 mainstream class teachers for the 2027-28 academic year.

Councillor Francis Timmons expressed concern over the issues that may arise if the classrooms are merged,

“The size of the classrooms in Scoil Chrónáin and its prefab buildings is extremely limited and poses health and safety concerns such as the lack of adequate toilet facilities with only one male and one female toilet.

“The Minister’s action is urgently requested here to intervene before the summer recess and to sanction a teaching post via the Department of Education.” Cllr Timmons continued.

“The cohort of classes affected are a group of children most heavily impacted by Covid. Their early years of education were interrupted significantly by Covid and here we are at the latter end of their primary education, with standards being compromised again” he said.

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