2,000 new teaching jobs as pupil numbers soar

MORE than 1,000 new teaching jobs will be created by September -- with a further 1,000 expected next year.

The jobs are being given the green light because of a huge surge in the number of full-time students, which now tops one million for the first time in the history of the State. They are in addition to the hundreds of posts that have to be filled annually due to retirements.

They also come on top of the 500 teaching positions that are currently being filled as part of Fianna Fail's deal with the Greens to keep them in government.

The massive jobs boost means hundreds of graduates will not have to emigrate or go on the dole. It is also likely to continue the rise in CAO applications and points for teaching as it becomes one of the more sought-after professions at a time of major economic uncertainty.

Of the 1,080 new posts coming on stream this September, 600 will be in primary and 330 in second-level. A further 150 have yet to be designated.

The Department of Education last night confirmed to the Irish Independent that the cost of the jobs would be in region of €40m a year in salaries alone. Further costs will be incurred in the provision of extra schools and classrooms.

The enrolment rise next year will be even greater and last night sources said a further 1,000 teachers -- if not more -- would be needed to cope with the huge increases.

The rapid growth is putting huge pressure on the public finances at the worst possible time as ministers struggle to find €3bn in savings.

There are fears that the money used to pay the extra teachers and provide additional classrooms will lead to drastic cuts in other areas of education, especially in the third-level sector.

The Department of Education spokesman said: "The resources will have to be provided to facilitate the increased demands in line with the commitment in the renewed programme not to increase pupil-teacher ratios in the lifetime of this Government."

Official projections foresee continued growth in enrolments at all levels of the education system.

New figures from the department show that this year there were a record 1,011,300 full-time students in Irish schools, colleges and universities. This consisted of 505,600 in primary, 350,600 at second-level and 155,100 in third-level.

Primary enrolments are projected to continue rising until the turn of the decade, when they are expected to come in at just under 570,000 before starting to drop back.

At second-level, they are expected to top 410,000 in 15 years before beginning to fall back.

But third-level, which is the most expensive, will continue to grow, reaching more than a quarter of a million students in 15 years' time.

Unless new methods of teaching, such as e-learning, are introduced, the cost for the additional third-level students has been estimated at €4bn.

The improved job prospects for newly qualified teachers in September and in the immediate future were welcomed last night by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO).

Protests

The union put this down to last September's revised Programme for Government, which contained commitments to reverse many of the education cuts that had previously been announced.

More than 100,000 people took part in nationwide street protests against the cutbacks. The major focus of the protests was on the size of classes.

"Clear threats to further increase class sizes were averted," said INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan, adding: "The agreement will enable schools to cope with the growing school population in the coming years."

Ms Nunan said the agreement had to be seen against the McCarthy 'Bord Snip Nua' Report, which had recommended class sizes of 29 or more. Had this happened, classes in Irish primary schools would have been the largest in Europe.

- John Walshe Education Editor

Irish Independent