Cork schools among the worst for overcrowded classrooms
- Published: 09 October 2008
Kathleen Lynch TD Statement by Kathleen Lynch TD, Spokesperson on Disability Issues and Equality
More than one in four children in schools in Cork County are in classes of thirty or more, making it among the worst areas in the country for overcrowded classrooms.
This must be a cause of acute embarrassment for Education Batt O'Keeffe, himself a local TD.
Nationally, almost 96,000 children are in oversized classrooms, which itself is scandalous, but almost 11,000 are of those are in Cork County area.
It is clear that little or no progress has been made in tackling overcrowding, and that the Govt has failed miserably to honour their repeated commitments to reduce class sizes. Without doubt the problem is particularly acute in County Cork.
In 2002 Fianna Fail promised that to reduce class sizes to below 20:1, but that commitment was subsequently abandoned first by Mary Hanafin and now Batt O'Keeffe.
Educational research has consistently shown that children will benefit, particularly those who are disadvantaged or have learning difficulties, from smaller classes. On the other hand children crammed into overcrowded classes run the risk of suffering from a level of educational disadvantage from which they may never fully recover.
The fact that at a time of economic growth the Govt failed to make significant progress on class sizes is a damning indictment of the record of Fianna Fail. It is simply not acceptable that we should have the second highest average class size in the EU.
ICT funding for primary schools vital for new job creation - Healy Eames
- Published: 08 October 2008
Fine Gael National Press Office Press Release
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Leinster House Contact: Senator Fidelma Healy Eames
Dublin 2 Deborah Sweeney Seanad Education
Ireland 01 6184076
ICT funding for primary schools vital for new job creation - Healy Eames
Obsolete computers in classes of 30 children with limited broadband access is not the way to build our future
Delivery of the €252million Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Strategy, committed to in the NDP which has been slashed by Minister O'Keeffe, is now, more than ever, crucial to Ireland's future growth and competitiveness according to Fine Gael Seanad Education Spokesperson, Senator Fidelma Healy Eames. Senator Healy Eames was speaking during Fine Gael's Seanad Private Members' Motion on primary school under-funding.
"The reality is that the majority of computers in our schools are out of date and obsolete with many classrooms having just one computer for every 30 children. Couple this with poor broadband coverage and the outcome is essentially nothing. The facts are that ICT has been recognised as an essential literacy since the late 20th century. This Government's refusal to invest in ICT is ensuring that we are kept firmly at the bottom of the league and confines us to traditional approaches at a time when we need, more than ever, to be innovative and creative. It is only through creativity and innovation, which must begin in the primary school classroom that we will become competitive as a nation and will be enabled to create new jobs and opportunities.
"Reports compiled by the Department of Education's Strategy group and the Inspectorate on ICT in schools have both been openly critical of the lack of ICT investment in our primary schools and show that our children are relying on aging computer equipment, a dearth of adequate technical support and insufficient levels of broadband availability. Worse still 100,000 primary students are still in classes of 30 or more and with most having access only to domestic broadband, the real extent of the problem becomes clear.
"Minister O Keeffe's commitment to delivering on ICT funding for our schools must be seriously questioned. By slashing the €252million budget, he is contradicting the recommendations of his Inspectorate and he is showing that he has little understanding of the long-term embedded value that a satisfactory infrastructure would have on the development of our 'knowledge economy' and the creation of new jobs.
"The Taoiseach's assurance yesterday in the Dáil that 'Ireland is open for business' also inspires little confidence if he and Minister O'Keeffe do not honour the commitment of the funding promised in the NDP which Taoiseach Cowen has always said was sacrosanct."
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Principals in plea to spare schools from 'disastrous' cuts
- Published: 06 October 2008
By Shane Hickey
THE Government should resist the urge to chop primary school funding and instead inject more cash in preparation for when the economy takes an upward turn, say principals.
In a submission prior to next week's Budget, the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN) has urged ministers to spare the sector when cuts are being decided over the next week.
"Cutting back on the primary education budget will have disastrous consequences for the future -- it's comparable to a farmer selling his seed in times of hunger," said IPPN president Larry Fleming.
Making cuts in schools would be "imprudent", said the IPPN, when what is needed is a long-term investment, similar to the commitment given to the banks last week.
"The Government must devise creative solutions to financing investments in education. Introducing a specific state-guaranteed pension plan for under-40s could provide substantial finance for capital investment in the School Building Programme," said Sean Cottrell, director of the IPPN.
Within the submission is a call for a "realistic increase" in the level of capitation to primary schools at a time when 90pc have to engage in fundraising.
The current method of funding schools "is such a crude and blunt instrument that it is wasteful, particularly in its inability to target resources to address actual need", said the body.
Instead, it said, the Department of Education should put in place a system where schools have greater responsibility over their resources.
Meanwhile, objectors to the controversial M3 motorway project claim in a pre-Budget report that the current National Development Plan is illegal.
TaraWatch wants a spending freeze on all infrastructural projects that could have significant effects on the environment.
It claims the Government is using 'cowboy economics' in an effort to fund a National Development Plan that breaches EU and Irish environmental law.
Govt urged not to cut education budget
- Published: 05 October 2008
Primary school principals are urging the Government not to cut funding for education in the budget.
The Irish Primary Principals' Network says investing in education now will make sure we are ready for the upturn in the economy when it comes.
After meeting to discuss the cutbacks necessary in the budget yesterday Government ministers indicated there are difficult decisions to be taken.
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But the principals of primary schools are urging the Government not to target education when it wields the knife.
The IPPN says the economic downturn will have a short term impact on the country, but increasing investment in education now will make sure we are ready for the upturn when it comes.
President of the IPPN Larry Flemming says cutting back on the primary education budget would have disastrous consequences for the future and is comparable to a farmer selling his seed in times of hunger.
ends
Don't cut the Education Budget, Brian!
- Published: 05 October 2008
Primary school principals are urging the Irish government not to cut funding for education in the up-coming budget.
The Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN) says the economic downturn will have a short term impact on the country, but increasing investment in education now will make sure we are ready for the upturn when it comes.
After meeting to discuss the cutbacks necessary in the budget yesterday, government ministers indicated there are difficult decisions to be taken.
But the principals of the country's primary schools are urging the political leadership not to target education when it wields the knife over the budget.
Larry Fleming, President of the IPPN, stresses that cutting back on the primary education budget would have disastrous consequences for the future of Ireland. "It is comparable to a farmer selling his seed in times of hunger," he says.
This statement from the best of our national teachers is a serious and timely reminder that we need to get the priorities right this time. And I hope that Finance Minister Brian Lenihan is listening to the teachers very carefully.
If the Irish government - after a boundless spending spree in the boom - now imposes severe austerity on everything, including education, we can as well go back to Dev's Ireland and forget that we ever were a modern country for a while.
We should not forget that our investment in education during the 1970s was the seed from which eventually the 'Celtic Tiger' grew during the 1990s. Economic cycles take their time, but only the one who is prepared for events will be able to benefit from them.
Given the fast speed of technological changes in our modern world, investment in education must be increased in a recession, and not decreased.
Only then will we have a chance of getting back to the top in good time.
The Emerald Islander
