County Limerick school set to lose a teacher for being one pupil short
Pupils and teachers at Herbertstown NS are hoping the school can retain four teachers
A COUNTY Limerick school that has received €275,000 from the Government to build and refurbish classrooms will have one lying empty as it is to lose a teacher.
Herbertstown National School became a four-teacher school in September 2011 due to their growing numbers. Now they are to return to a three teacher school because they are just one pupil short.
The principal of the school, Betty Carmody, says it is common sense gone mad.
“We have 82 children currently enrolled in our school. On budget day the way that it was announced implied that the retention figures wouldn’t be affected until September 2012. Now we are being told that the retention figure will be based on September 2011 figures and not on September 2012 numbers,” said Mrs Carmody.
The new figure to keep their teacher is 83, which means Herbertstown National School is one pupil short.
Mrs Carmody says this is appalling considering the fact “we have 18 children already enrolled for September 2012 and when our present sixth class leave we will have at least 88 on roll for the coming school year.”
They already have taken names of 10 children for September 2013 and this will bring their enrolment to 92 as there will only be six children leaving for secondary school that year. In 2014 they have already 12 children enrolled in junior infants.
As well as the numbers not adding up neither does the fact that the Government has given €275,000 for two new classrooms and to refurbish the whole school.
*A full version of this story was published in the Limerick Leader, print edition, dated February 4, 2012
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