People power proves a success in keeping third teacher for Castlehackett NS

By SIOBHÃÂN HOLLIMAN AT least one North Galway school has received positive news this week and will not be losing a teacher, as feared. Castlehackett National School got a very welcome phone call on Monday from the Department of Education, informing them that their appeal against the proposed loss of one of its three teachers has been successful. The changes to the pupil-teacher ratio in the budget had put the school's third teacher at risk. However, the school has successfully shown that it will have at least 54 pupils in September, three more than the 51 required to retain a third teacher.[private] Speaking to The Tuam Herald, school principal Mary Hernon said everyone at the school was delighted. 'It's wonderful news,' said the principal, who admits that the issue has been a cause for significant concern among parents and staff in recent months. Castlehackett NS was among a number of Co Galway schools that were earmarked to lose a teacher in September because of changes to the teacher-pupil ratios. Ballinlass NS in Dunmore hadn't had a response to their appeal when contacted by The Herald this week, however a very honest principal Mary Fleming admitted that while they were hopeful, they wouldn't be surprised at bad news. The school had 49 pupils on its roll books for September 2011, which would have guaranteed them a third teacher under the pre-budget requirements. But pupil numbers have been falling in recent years and they expect them to be reduced further by this September, and out of reach of the required target of 51. Another year 'We're hoping that we'll be able to hold on to the third teacher for just another year before reverting to two teachers again,' explained Mary Fleming. She says many of the senior classes have high numbers. 'It will be a challenge for us if we do lose a teacher. We realise that our numbers have been falling but we hope to keep the third teacher until the numbers go down to a more manageable number for two teachers,' the principal explained. There hadn't been any word back either from the Department of Education to those anxiously waiting at Killasolan NS near Caltra for the decision on their appeal. Cloghan's Hill NS and Killasolan NS are among those in line to be reduced to one-teacher schools from September because their enrolment numbers, of 12 and 13 respectively, don't meet the new requirement of 20 pupils to qualify for a second teacher. A spokesperson for the Department of Education told The Herald that they were notifying schools of their decisions this week. It's expected that, nationally, 34 appeals have been upheld on the basis of their projected enrolment numbers for this September. However, while Castlehackett NS is in a jubilant mood this week, its principal says there are still anxious times ahead for many rural schools as the pupil numbers required for the following years will be higher again. 'They seem to be able to keep changing the goalposts,' commented Mary Hernon, who said their petition of more than 1,200 signatures was a clear indication of the concern and anger among parents and the wider community. She said if a school loses a teacher now, the Department is making it increasingly difficult to get them back because of the rising pupil number requirements for small schools. The school principal added that there was no allowance for intermittent population fluctuations in a community. 'The matter has raised concern among parents over the past few months and we have always tried to reassure them that the school would be able to keep its three teachers. We're delighted this is the case,' she added.[/private]