“PEOPLE ALWAYS say that something can’t be done in the event of a cut and they are often exaggerating the difficulty. That is not the case here. Withdrawing substitution cover is a recipe for chaos.”
Ciarán McCormack, principal of St Paul’s College, Raheny, is not alone in his assessment of the new situation in schools.
The cuts in substitution cover announced in the Budget have triggered huge concern among teachers, leaving many wondering how their schools will manage.
The Department of Education has decided not to provide cover for teachers in post-primary schools who are absent on school business. As this encompasses anything from football matches to inspector meetings, the impact on school life will be significant.
“I feel that this will really affect the fabric of school life,” says Patricia McDonagh, deputy principal of Malahide Community School. “Sports, debates, gallery trips, visits to the theatre, visits to the Dáil, films – all of these things enrich school life for students and they will be much more difficult from here in.”
John Cronin, principal of Castleknock Community College, agrees. “Those are the things most of us remember about school. For many, the sports field is where they earn their acclamation. It boosts their confidence hugely. Then there are the Young Scientists’ Exhibition and the Young Social Innovators, these things are great for students but I don’t see how we can be a part of them any more.”
Mr McCormack explains: “Schools have a number of substitution hours available per week through the Supervision Substitution Scheme and that is what the department is counting on. In my case if one person is out, using this scheme, I can get all nine of their classes covered on Monday and seven out of the nine covered on Tuesday.
“On Wednesday, we only have six periods, two of which will be covered. Only two out of nine classes will be covered on Thursday and I’m left with no cover at all on Friday. That’s all my substitution for the week used up on one absence. What happens if another person is off? To assume that this scheme will fill the gap is unrealistic.”
Teachers who are absent on school business are not always dealing with extra-curricular activities. “There are compulsory field trips for geography and other subjects, worth 20 per cent of the final Leaving Cert mark,” says Mr McCormack. “Teachers have to bring students on these trips but they won’t get any cover for it. If a teacher comes to me with the trip organised, I can schedule it in, but if somebody calls in sick, the teacher will have to cancel [it].”
School inspections are another concern. When an inspector comes to a school, they expect to meet the teachers. “Teachers won’t be covered for those meetings,” Mr McCormack adds. “There’s lunchtime, but really that’s not very professional.”
What schools are going to do with students for whom there is no supervision is not clear.
“This is a matter of health and safety,” says Ms McDonagh. “With big groups of students in a hall, a breakdown of discipline is much more likely. Principals and deputy principals cannot be left to mind big groups. Boards of management are going to have to protect us in that respect. It is not what we are paid to do.”
The possibility of students being sent home is increasingly likely. “We’ll try to avoid that, but in reality it is likely that schools will have to resort to sending students home,” says Mr McCormack. “It’s going to be a nightmare for parents.”
Mr Cronin says: “We cannot guarantee the health and safety of our students if three or four teachers are out and not covered.”
“Students only get one chance at education,” says Ms McDonagh. “This is going to be hugely damaging in terms of the quality of education we can provide.”
Mr McCormack says: “I have a staff of more than 40 teachers. I can have two, four or even five people out on any day. Teachers are willing to co-operate but there is only so much we can do.”
Series concluded