Latest news with #INTO
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on education spending: tackling the complex question of teacher shortages
Ireland remains at the 'top of the league of shame' when it comes to average class sizes, according to the general secretary of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) John Boyle. He made the comment in reference to the most recent figures on class sizes released by the Department of Education which found that the average number of pupils per class is 22.5 compared to the European average of 19. Boyle castigated the Government for not reducing class sizes in the last two years, saying that they could not repeat this mistake in the coming budget. October will reveal whether the teacher's leader gets a response from the Coalition, but research from the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC) published this week may offer a possible explanation as to why the Government is not treating the matter with the urgency Boyle demands. As part of a wider study of tax and State spending in Ireland, the fiscal watchdog noted that despite spending less than its peers on education, Ireland generally achieves better outcomes. The Government currently spends close to the average of other high income European countries on education, according to IFAC, but when the figure is adjusted for demographic factors – such as the higher percentage of Irish people under 19 – Irish spending is well below European levels. Despite this, education outcomes in Ireland are well above average. Ireland now has the highest share of its population with a third-level qualification in Europe and scores well on Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests for reading, science and mathematics. The figures suggest that Irish spending on education was amongst the most efficient in the OECD. READ MORE IFAC says that the fall in the number of children in Ireland over the coming decade may improve the teacher student ratio. As the Government sets about framing the budget against an uncertain backdrop, the prospect that the issue of class size could be resolved without real spending increases is a tantalising one. That said, the difficulty schools are facing in filling vacant posts remains acute.
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Ireland tops class-size ‘league of shame', says INTO general secretary
More than 40,000 or 8.2 per cent of primary school students were in classes of 30 or more pupils last year, according to the latest figures from the Department of Education . The annual list of class sizes was published last month on the department's website and the statistics for 2024 to 2025 show that 43,464 pupils are in classes with more than 30 pupils. According to the figures, 109,246 Irish-based primary school students are in classes of, or below, 19. The remaining 419,817 students, or 79.35 per cent of all primary schoolchildren, are in larger classes. The EU average is 19 pupils per class but the figure is 22.5 in Ireland. READ MORE Both the last programme for government and the current one included commitments to reducing the primary school pupil-teacher ratio to the EU average, but Ireland remains at the 'top of the league of shame' according to general secretary of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) John Boyle. 'Many EU countries with less financial resources than us have class sizes well below the EU average,' said Mr Boyle. He said the Government had failed to reduce class sizes in the last two budgets, adding: 'They cannot in conscience make that mistake again in October.' Just before the publication of the latest numbers, Minister for Education Helen McEntee told Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne in a parliamentary reply that in 2023-2024 there were 23,818 mainstream classes, of which 22,181 were of 29 or fewer pupils. There were 1,637 classes of 30 pupils or more, or 6.9 per cent of the total number of mainstream classes. She said 'in previous budgets, reducing the pupil-teacher ratios in primary schools was prioritised, which has brought the teacher allocation ratio to an average of one classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools, the lowest level ever seen at primary level'. Ms McEntee said teacher allocations for Deis schools, which get additional supports, improved to an average of 17:1 for junior schools and 21:1 for senior. Mr Byrne said the pupil-teacher ratio had been improving 'but my concern has been that there are a certain number of classes still with 30-plus pupils and a lot of those are in areas of rapid growth', including in his Wicklow-Wexford constituency. The Gorey electoral area population grew by 14 per cent between 2016 and 2022. 'Obviously a lot of that are younger families' who need school places, said Mr Byrne. He said Gorey Central School is 'the largest Church of Ireland school in the country and it has a number of 30-plus classes' and has been waiting a considerable time for a school extension. The INTO general secretary said Ireland is 'completely out of kilter with the rest of Europe'. Estonia has fewer resources than Ireland but is investing more per child and is 'forging ahead in all the international comparisons because they have very low class sizes for quite a considerable length of years'. Estonia and Finland have the highest-performing school systems, Mr Boyle said. A department spokesperson said 'the number of mainstream classroom teachers has risen by 32.3 per cent (from 18,011 to 23,818) over the last 20 years'. The total number of teaching posts, the department says, has increased from 26,039 to 42,680 over the same period. 'This measure (along with pupil-teacher ratio) includes both classroom teachers and other teachers that support the overall education of pupils, that is, special education teachers, English as an additional language support teachers, and home school community liaison teachers, as well as any other full-time teaching staff. 'However, it is important to note that class size does not include such supports.'
Irish Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
No consensus among teachers on religion in classrooms
Sir, – The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) takes great pride in our long-standing commitment to equality and inclusion in our schools. We are also proud of our commitment to respectful debate and democratic structures. We note Paddy Monahan's comments ('T eachers are clear they want religion out of the classroom ', Opinion, Thursday, May 9th), and wish to offer some important context and clarification. At our 157th annual congress, 850 democratically elected delegates from INTO branches across the island of Ireland adopted the 13 recommendations of our Taskforce on the Future of Primary School Patronage. These recommendations represent the official position of the union. It is, however, noteworthy that a motion calling for the removal of single-faith education from the school day in State-funded schools, debated at congress and addressed by members of Education Equality, was defeated by a significant margin. INTO has undertaken extensive research and engagement on religious education and school patronage with members in recent years. These exercises have consistently shown that views are varied and deeply held. Our membership is divided on some aspects of this complex issue. Recognising this, we have worked to find a common ground, one that acknowledges those divisions and reflects the union's democratic structures. READ MORE It is inevitable that some on both sides of such a sensitive debate will be dissatisfied, but what we now have is a union policy position that portrays the opinions of the majority of our congress delegates, who are chosen to represent our 55,000 members. We will continue to work with our members, who are doing tremendous work in a sensitive area and doing their best for the children they teach. – Yours, etc, JOHN BOYLE, General Secretary, Irish National Teachers' Organisation.
Irish Examiner
08-05-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
The State is completely failing non-Catholic families
Look around you this month and you may see entire classes of young schoolchildren dressed in little suits and white dresses. It is a familiar sight around Ireland at this time of year. Who could begrudge these kids their day in the sun? Haven't they spent months preparing for their big day? Haven't their parents also dressed up for the occasion, and aren't they beaming with pride? Isn't First Holy Communion just an Irish tradition? Freedom of religion is a human right but herein lies a peculiar irony. Many parents getting ready for their child's communion give little thought to the Eucharist. They see the day merely as a cultural milestone. But by having their child take part they are, in effect, practising religion – even if they are only dimly conscious of doing so. It is precisely those families who avoid this rite altogether that are unable to overlook its religious significance. Under Article 44.2.4 of the Constitution, every child in Ireland has a clearly enshrined right not to attend religious instruction. Attempting to exercise this right comes at a cost, however. Non-religious and minority faith families are confronted with daily reminders that they fall outside the norm. Approximately 95% of Ireland's primary schools are patronised by religious bodies. Over 88% are run by the Catholic Church. It is a strange way to run an education system. Most schools treat faith formation and sacramental preparation as an intrinsic part of the daily curriculum, often paying scant regard to the wishes and lawful preferences of those holding different beliefs. 'Opting out' can be an alienating and upsetting experience for many children, who invariably find themselves treated differently from their classmates. It is also completely ineffective as they absorb the lessons and prayers regardless. Religion is woven so closely into the school day that parents often choose to keep their children at home, particularly as sacramental preparation ramps up. If you apply for a job, you will not be asked about your beliefs at interview. If you get married, you can choose the ceremony you prefer, whether religious or non-religious. If you have children, you can freely decide whether you want to baptise them. A few years later, however, you will leave these freedoms at the school gate. The protections that we otherwise take for granted are systematically denied us when our children start school. Our education system is increasingly disconnected from Irish society. Catholicism has fallen as a percentage of the population in every census since the 1960s. The last 40 years have seen the legalisation of contraception, divorce, same-sex marriage and abortion. Over 40% of babies are now born outside wedlock. Just 31% of marriages were celebrated in a Catholic church in 2024, while 40% were non-religious. It's an odd situation, and teachers are finally beginning to make their voices heard. Following a motion passed at Congress in 2024, the INTO undertook a representative national survey of teachers on school patronage, the teaching of religion, and sacramental preparation. The results, which have just been released, were unsurprising: Most teachers do not believe that faith formation should take place in primary schools, most do not teach religion willingly, and most believe that our schools should have secular patrons. When it comes to communions and confirmations, the INTO's taskforce findings were particularly stark. 77% of teachers believe that responsibility for sacramental preparation should rest with the family or the parish, 18% believe that responsibility should rest with the family, parish, and school, and only 4% believe that responsibility should rest with schools alone. The INTO is now explicitly calling for the repeal of Section 37.1 of the Employment Equality Act, which legalises discrimination against teachers on religious grounds and allows schools to insist on staff holding a Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies to secure a permanent contract. Formed in 2015, Education Equality is a voluntary human rights advocacy group that campaigns for equality for all children in our schools, regardless of their religion or belief background. In 2016, we met former minister for education Richard Bruton. In 2018, the Education (Admission to Schools) Act largely outlawed the use of religion as an admissions criterion. In October 2024, we met the previous minister for education, Norma Foley. Our new Education Equality Ireland Instagram account has gained huge traction. Slow pace of reform Yet even as our movement grows, so does the litany of Government failures to respond meaningfully to this issue. The school divestment process has made negligible progress since it emerged from the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector in 2012. Government commitments to a target of reaching 400 multidenominational schools by 2030 were quietly dropped from the programme for government in January. In 2020, the previous government announced plans to hold a citizens' assembly on the future of education. Predictably, it never took place and now appears to have been abandoned. In September 2023, the Department of Education announced its intention to undertake a national parental survey on school patronage. As reported by RTÉ at the time, Secretary General Bernie McNally said that parents would complete the survey "in the privacy of their own homes", adding that they would have access to "accurate" information in advance. David Graham: 'Non-religious and minority faith families are confronted with daily reminders that they fall outside the norm.' Subsequent commitments indicated that the survey would take place during the 2024-2025 academic year. Parents are still waiting. Even recent, modest legislative provisions have proven ineffective. Section 62(7)(n) of the 2018 admissions legislation includes a specific requirement that school enrolment policies must include details of the school's arrangements for any students who do not wish to attend religious instruction. Most schools ignore this legislation, instead directing parents to arrange a meeting with the principal. The new minister for education Helen McEntee has now announced that she would establish a national convention on education "to hear and to understand people's thoughts, hopes and aspiration for the education system of the future". The convention is unlikely to happen for some time, and its terms of reference remain unclear. Opt in rather than opt out? So, what should be done? Education Equality believes that we need to move religious instruction outside the school day. Instead of making families opt out, we should ask them if they want to opt in. It's a simple, cost-effective solution that would make faith formation more meaningful for those attending, while upholding the rights of those who do not share these beliefs. So no, this is not about begrudgery or denying Irish schoolchildren their day in the sun. It's about equality, inclusion and respect for human rights. And it's about removing systemic discrimination from our education system for children and teachers alike. Ireland has changed. Our schools must too. David Graham is Communications Officer with Education Equality
Irish Times
08-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Teachers want religion out of the classroom. Here's what has to happen next
Religious faith formation plays a major role in Ireland's taxpayer-funded primary education system. This is highly unusual in a democratic country, and teachers are making their voices heard on the issue. About 90 per cent of primary schools are controlled by the Catholic Church. Sacramental preparation for Confession, Communion and Confirmation presents challenges for teachers, especially those who don't share the faith. A recent survey by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) uncovered some interesting findings and related recommendations from an INTO taskforce, which have given the union plenty of homework. The survey asked 34 questions related to religion in schools. Seventy seven per cent of respondent teachers said schools should have no responsibility at all for preparing children for the sacraments, while only 4 per cent thought it should be left to the primary school. A vast amount of class time is dedicated to sacramental preparation, with knock-on effects for other subjects in an already overloaded curriculum. Communion and Confirmation practice eat into the school day for months in advance, ramping up as the day approaches. [ Ireland an 'outlier' in requiring religious certs to teach in most primary schools Opens in new window ] But for many teachers there is also the gnawing issue of the children who are left out. Ireland has changed as a society – children come from a wide variety of backgrounds. In so many ways, our schools are places of inclusiveness and understanding, but this goes out the window when it comes to religion. Children from outside the shrinking Catholic mainstream can find themselves excluded for lengthy periods, or forced to set their own identity aside. READ MORE With no guidance from the Minister for Education, Helen McEntee, few – if any – schools have found a satisfactory way to cater for the many children not partaking in sacramental preparation. These children tend to find themselves herded together and assigned pointless busywork for what adds up to a huge amount of class time. Then on the 'big day' they sit on the sidelines and watch as their peers get dressed up and enjoy their celebration. Many teachers feel conflicted about their role in this institutionalised othering. The INTO taskforce has recommended that the union work to move sacramental preparation outside the school day. However, the recommendation that it 'engage with' religious patrons in this regard seems like it is starting in the wrong direction. Shouldn't fundamental decisions on the curriculum primarily involve the Minister for Education? Elsewhere, some of the taskforce's recommendations don't appear to me to make much sense. On the simple question of 'should faith formation take place in primary schools?' 33 per cent of respondents said they 'teach religion willingly'; 19.5 per cent said they would prefer not to have to teach it and 19 per cent said 'I would teach a broad religious education willingly', but would prefer not to have to teach it in a particular faith. Yet, other than the issue of sacramental preparation, faith formation in schools seems to have been largely ignored by the taskforce. In almost 90 per cent of schools, the Catholic faith is supposed to be taught for 30 minutes every single day. This is more time than history, geography and science combined. Then there are daily prayers, trips to church, clerical visits and more. As with sacramental preparation, the Department of Education has provided no guidance on how schools should accommodate non-Catholic children during these times. In truth, in most schools, the 'opted-out' children just sit there – sometimes colouring a picture, sometimes doodling with a puzzle book, listening to every word regardless – segregated, othered and marked as different. The obvious answer, surely, is simply to move faith formation outside the school day and let families 'opt-in', should they wish. This is an inclusive solution that could not offend anyone. The INTO taskforce has inexplicably ignored the responses on faith formation in the survey and based most of its recommendations on the failed policy of divestment. There are obvious reasons divestment, pursued by successive governments since 2012, has failed. First, it is logistically and financially impossible to build a school system where all families will have access to a school that aligns with their religious outlook. Second, and more importantly, building an entire balkanised school system on a foundation of religious difference among children is patently wrong. Ireland is forging a lonely path internationally with this policy. The teaching profession in Ireland is monocultural – it reflects neither the diversity of Irish society nor our own classrooms. The taskforce's recommendation that the union must 'campaign and advocate for the removal of section 37.1 of the Employment Equality Act in its entirety' is welcome. This regrettable piece of legislation creates the vague, indefinable transgression of 'undermining the religious ethos' of a school. Moreover, teachers can face any 'action which is reasonably necessary' as a consequence. What does this mean? Sanction, loss of promotion prospects and dismissal? Understandably, most teachers don't want to find out. The result is a compliant workforce afraid to do anything that might fall foul of this obscure, discriminatory law. The chilling effect on teachers acts as an obvious barrier to entry to the profession at a time of catastrophic teacher shortages. 'Endeavouring' and 'campaigning' are not enough. The union must prioritise ending sacramental preparation in schools and the repeal of section 37.1. It needs to abandon the failed policy of divestment and focus on moving faith formation outside school hours: a real, practical change that will benefit teachers and children alike. Paddy Monahan is a teacher, Social Democrats councillor and policy officer with Education Equality
