Please give your feedback on funding today to RTE Prime Time

IPPN and NPC have teamed up to jointly campaign about the persistent under-funding of primary schools, particularly in relation to day-to-day operational costs. The main objective of our campaign is to have primary school children grant-aided to the same level as their second-level brothers and sisters. This would mean the annual capitation grant going from €178 per child to the €318 per child currently available to second-level schools.

RTÉ Prime Time have examined the school accounts of two schools with different economic backdrops. The contrast is stark. One school in Tallaght is constantly under pressure to make ends meet and consequently cannot invest sufficiently in the educational resources and technologies needed for a modern school. The other school in Kells, Co. Meath is more fortunate whereby the parents have the means to constantly fundraise and enable the school invest in the latest resources.

Neither school should have to fundraise. One school should not be disadvantaged because of its economic back drop. The parents of the other school should not have to fund for so-called 'free' primary education.

In order to keep this campaign going, it is important that all Principals support each other regardless of individual circumstances. Re. the Prime Time programme Thursday 28th February, please help by:

a. Contacting the Prime Time Production Team in order to register your support for this campaign;
b. Expressing your own views about the inequitable funding structure in primary schools and how Principal teachers feel embarrassed and frustrated by constantly having to go to parents for money;
c. Thanking Prime Time for highlighting this issue.

Prime Time contact details are:

Email - primetime@rte.ie
Tel. - 01 208 3199 - 01 208 2311 - 01 208 2410

Strong feedback to current affairs television programmes is an important factor in determining their likelihood of revisiting the topic.

Is sinne le meas

Seán Cottrell and Larry Fleming