School protests as staff numbers cut

THE PRINCIPAL of a west Clare secondary school said yesterday that it was crazy that students were being denied the opportunity to study several subjects because the Department of Education "wants to save a few euros".

Principal of St Joseph's Secondary School in Spanish Point, Mary Crawford, was speaking after the department withdrew the salaries of two specialist teachers thereby affecting the provision of such subjects as music, metalwork, technical graphics, technical drawing and engineering.

After appeals, the department last week offered to fund 15 hours of teaching for exam classes.

However, the school has described this as "inadequate" as it will deny current first-, second- and fifth- year students the chance to take these subjects.

Ms Crawford said the school had also made a lengthy submission to the Office of the Ombudsman for Children over the department's decision. "We are going to fight this all the way. We have to keep this school viable in west Clare," she said.

In an open letter to Minister for Children Barry Andrews, the school's student council chairperson Sarah Donnelly asked: "Why does the Department of Education and Science not care about all the children of this school? What about our first, second and fifth years - who will teach them? Why has the Department of Education and Science treated some of our students differently? Can you as Minister for Children do anything to help?"

Ms Crawford said: "West Clare is a vibrant centre for traditional music and it would be odd if the local second-level school could not offer timetabled classes to those who are talented and eager to study music formally. And in a largely rural area metalwork/engineering is often the keystone of small local businesses and essential to farm maintenance.

"The school has a long tradition of offering these subjects to the local community; there is an expectation among parents and students that the school would continue to offer them and the students in second and fifth years who opted for these subjects are now gravely disadvantaged because their choices have disappeared." Confirming that a public meeting is to be held at the school next Friday, Ms Crawford said: "The withdrawal of these subjects will ultimately affect the viability of the school."

In its response to the department's offer of 15 hours, the school's board of management said the decision to axe both teachers and subjects was forced upon the school without any consultation or prior warning.

A spokesman for Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe said: "Teacher allocations at second- level schools are approved annually by the department in accordance with established rules based on pupil enrolment."

He said each school management was required to organise subject options within the limit of the approved teacher allocation.