New Pupil-teacher ratios are also likely to have an effect on small Church of Ireland schools around the diocese.A report in The Enniscorthy Guardian states:
One such example is Killegney National School outside Clologue. The two-teacher school currently has 13 pupils. The old limit for having two teachers was 12 pupils. Now it’s 14.
Principal Ciaran Kavanagh is concerned. ‘In theory, we will lose a teacher in July,’ he said.
‘It’s worrying. In Church of Ireland parishes, the schools go in cycles. A couple of years ago, there were 30 in this school. It’s the same pattern in most Church of Ireland schools. Unfortunately, we’re at the bottom of the loop at the moment.’
He pointed out that if they become a one-teacher school, it will be difficult in one class to teach streams from Junior Infants up to sixth class.
‘There are eight Church of Ireland schools in the Diocese of Ferns,’ he said. ‘There are other two-teacher schools where their numbers are around 20, which will be the benchmark in 2015 for going down to one teacher. Five out of the eight Church of Ireland schools will be under pressure.’
‘I don’t know what’s going to happen,’ he continued. ‘The school is here since March 1905. Nearly 900 children have gone through the school which has served our community well. It would be a dreadful pity to see it go. The Department spent a quarter of a million euro refurbishing the school in the last three years, making it into a state of the art school.'
He said that Bishop Michael Burrows is very concerned at the situation and is holding various meetings to discuss the issue.