Education is an Election Issue [INTO]
- Published: 29 May 2009
27th May 2009
Bye election candidates in the Dublin South Constituency and local election candidates in the Templeogue area will be at:
Members of the media are welcome to attend.
The two primary schools in Knocklyon (St Colmcille's Senior and Junior Schools) show clearly the extent of recent government cutbacks in primary education.
Class sizes are large and set to increase next September when the new school year starts.
Over 500 pupils are in prefabs and a promised building project for both schools has yet to be delivered. The 5% cut in funding for primary school building will further delay this project.
Parents have to fundraise to make up significant funding shortfalls particularly in the area of sports equipment and school computers.
There will be reduced funding to special needs children in the schools because resource grants have been abolished.
Funding for free books which were available to necessitous children have been withdrawn and the schools will not have the resources to help families struggling with the effects of unemployment and poverty.
Additional funding for Traveller children in the school has been cutback.
