A local TD has called on the Minister for Education to 'do the right thing' in relation to St Mary's Boys National School in Belturbet.
The school is set to lose a newly employed 4th teacher as they are one pupil short of Department Requirements. They currently have 77 pupils attending, with the cutoff for a fourth teacher being 78. The school appealed the decision to cut the newly employed teacher giving evidence that some pupils are awaiting visas and undergoing medical treatment, but will be able to attend in December. This appeal was rejected, meaning the loss of the new teacher and class sizes increasing from 19 to 26. Speaking in the Dáil, Sinn Féin TD for Cavan-Monaghan, Pauline Tully, appealed directly to the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, to reconsider the decision
"They were actually turned down last week in the appeal they made in October. By being one pupil short, they were turned down knowing that there are three pupils waiting to come in and that's why I'm bringing this up here. I'm asking the Minister to go back to the Department and discuss this with her officials. Relent on the decision to refuse the appeal. This young teacher is asking what she's going to do now and she's considering emigrating. We're going to lose another teacher. I just think it's a very harsh decision in light of the fact we know there are pupils willing to come into that school once they are able to. It's not that they're being kept at home".
In response, Minister of State James Lawless, on behalf of the Education Minister, said he would pass the concerns on.
"I suppose the sticking by the letter of the rules is often a way to ensure transparency and consistency across the country but I appreciate completely there may be attenuated circumstances. You made the point that there may be three additional students coming in and I think that's a fair point. I don't know if that was considered in the appeal, it wouldn't be apt for me to speculate on that but what I can do is pass all this on to the Minister and you might engage with her further also".
