IPPN

E-scéal 172: Reaction to Budget 2009

Published: 17 October 2008

Budget 2009 will have serious implications for Primary Schools and consequently make the role of Principal even more challenging. IPPN is deeply concerned that the overall cut backs in grant aid, as well as reduced staffing levels will have severe implications on the quality of education provided to children.

While the implications of some measures are reasonably clear, it seems that until further details are made available, the direct impact of other measures cannot be fully quantified. Please find below a summary of the key changes arising from Budget 2009 extracted from the DES Press Briefing.

As further details become available we will communicate them to you.

Is sinne le meas

Larry Fleming & Seán Cottrell

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Staffing: with effect from September 2009, mainstream staffing levels will be based on an average of 28 pupils per class rather than the current 27 pupils per class. This will mean that staffing levels for September 2009 (based on Sep.2008 pupil numbers) will return to the staffing schedule from the school year 2006/2007. This is outlined in Circular 23/2006.
Language Support: the ceiling of two on the number of language support teachers per school is being re-imposed, with some alleviation for the position of those schools where there is a significant concentration of newcomer pupils as a proportion of the overall pupil enrolment
Disadvantage: arrangements will also be made for the withdrawal of teacher posts which have been historically provided under previous disadvantage schemes to non-DEIS schools.
Capital Projects: an allocation of €581m for the schools capital programme compared to €586m in 2008.
Teacher substitution arrangements: substitution cover will be suspended from January 2009 for absences arising from uncertified sick leave in all schools.
Early Retirement Scheme for Teachers: this pilot scheme is being suspended with immediate effect.
School Capitation Funding: the capitation grant will be increased by €21.42 bringing the rate to €200 per pupil. The ancillary grant will be increased from €151.50 per pupil to €155 per pupil.
Abolition of Grants: the separate cookery grant, resource grant for language support teachers and equipment grant for resource teachers are being abolished. The total value of these grants was €2m.
Travellers: a further €4.3m is being cut by the reduction in capitation funding for Travellers and withdrawal of certain capitation funding from schools that are not in the DEIS programme but had continued to receive top-up funding originally provided under previous disadvantage initiatives.
School Book Grant: €7.5m is being cut from the Discretionary Book Grant which will now be confined to DEIS Schools only. An additional fund of €7m will be made available for distribution to schools in the DEIS programme. Non DEIS will no longer receive discretionary book grants.
Library grants: a cut of €2.19m will result from the cessation of funding that the Department made available to local authorities to support school library services.
SEN: resource teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) will continue to be deployed to meet the needs of children with special educational needs (SEN).
EPSEN Act: implementation of the Act has been deferred; children with SEN will continue to have their SEN met on a non-statutory basis. An additional €10m which will fund enhanced measures for children with SEN pending the full implementation of the EPSEN Act.
School Psychologists: some of this €10 million will contribute to a 33% increase in expenditure on the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), resulting in all schools having a service by the end of 2009.
SNAs: an increase of €40 million to cover the full-year costs of additional SNAs in the system this September, provision for additional posts next September, and full-year cost of pay increases awarded.
Retirement: the pilot scheme for Early Retirement has been suspended Early Retirement under normal rules will not be effected