A Clare secondary school principal says students’ access to specialised subjects is being limited, as staffing levels struggle to keep pace with rising enrolment across the county.
It comes as Clare has seen a more than 10% increase in post-primary enrolment over the past five years.
In 2020, there were 8,660 post-primary students in Clare.
The latest figures from the Department of Education show, however, there were 9,583 students enrolled in the county’s secondary schools last year, an increase of 10.6% over the five years.
Science classes are capped at 24 students for health and safety reasons, while subjects like art, home economics and DCG are often limited to lower capacities due to room sizes.
Principal at Mary Immaculate Secondary School in Lisdoonvarna, Mona Hynes, says students’ options are limited ‘from the outset’ if staffing levels aren’t sufficient.
Schools are also facing difficulty forecasting enrolment for future years.
Chair of the Board of Management at Scariff Community College and Maghera Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat Hayes says the arrival of refugees or International Protection Applicants presents serious unforeseen challenges.
He says schools are often facing a ‘scramble for resources’ due to a sharp spike in the local population.
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