Let's guarantee primary schools
- Published: 03 October 2008
Letters
WASN'T it wonderful to see the government's rapid response to the banking crisis -- saving the entire system for a mere €400bn!
I now eagerly await the Taoiseach announcing step two of the government's national rescue plan -- a "bailout" of our 3,300 primary schools
Most primary schools are already bankrupt as they simply cannot pay their bills.
Whatever scepticism there has been on the decision to bail out the banks, I can guarantee you Taoiseach, that every taxpayer and voter would applaud your courageous and patriotic decision to make sure the education of our 500,000 primary school children will be fully funded with government guarantee.
Regardless of political ideology, common sense demands that the strategic importance of primary education continues to be an investment priority, even in the midst of this short-term crisis.
SEAN COTTRELL
DIRECTOR, PRIMARY PRINCIPALS' NETWORK
Underfunding of primary schools highlighted
- Published: 03 October 2008
By: Seán Flynn & Barry Roche
CHRONIC UNDERINVESTMENT in primary schools was highlighted at a public meeting attended by more than 1,000 parents and teachers in the RDS, Dublin, last night.
The meeting was called by the INTO to highlight key funding concerns in primary education in advance of the budget.
INTO general secretary John Carr told the meeting that 86 per cent of pupils in south Dublin are in classes bigger than promised six years ago. He said most parents, having paid taxes, were then asked to pay the same amount as the Government to their child's school, to keep it running.
"Despite a huge increase in population in south Dublin, not one new school building has been completed in the last 20 years," he said. "Not one school in south Dublin has enough funding for school computers."
He told the meeting that children cannot be prepared for a world dominated by science and technology if they cannot experiment in classrooms and learn science because there are too many pupils in the classroom. "The scientists of tomorrow need more than book learning today," he said.
"How can children learn to use today's technology effectively with 30 children sitting around one, very often clapped-out computer?" Mr Carr asked.
INTO president Declan Kelleher told the meeting that new research evidence from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment shows the highly detrimental effects of large class sizes on the implementation of the primary curriculum.
"The fact is that the primary curriculum is now floundering because of overcrowded classes."
Meanwhile, staff and parents of pupils at a Co Cork primary school have expressed their frustration at their omission from a list of school projects approved for funding some 10 years after they were promised a new school by the then minister for education Micheál Martin.
Mairéad Coakley, principal of Ballygarvan Primary School near Carrigaline, Cork, explained that five ministers for education have held the post since Mr Martin promised the new school 10 years ago.
She said the department itself appeared to recognise the importance of providing a new school as the community had initially sought a 12-classroom school, but the department did its own projections and proposed building a 16-classroom school.
Stephen Crowley, of Ballygarvan New School Committee said that parents in the area are growing extremely frustrated. Last night they launched a postcard and e-mail campaign to lobby Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe to provide funding for a new school. A department spokeswoman said a suitable site had been identified, and discussions on the project were continuing.
ends
Digital map plots the sites for new schools
- Published: 03 October 2008
By John Walshe Education Editor
State-of-the-art colour-coded mapping technology is now being used to help the Department of Education and Science work out where 100,000 new school places will need to be created over the next seven years.
The highly sophisticated new Geographical Information System (GIS) allows the department's planning and building unit to use an up-to-date technical solution to help plan the location of schools in the future.
"The GIS is essentially a digital image of the country using various sources of population-related data that gives us school locations and the location of potential gaps in current or future provision," Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe told the Irish Independent.
The GIS facility can produce various data sets on an ongoing basis that will allow the department to track changes in local populations.
"In this way, we are able to feed relevant population and school-related information into the GIS and produce maps showing the catchment areas of each school and the rate of population growth in their area," said Mr O'Keeffe.
The latest information from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) indicated that the primary school-going population will increase by at least 10pc in the next decade, even with zero net migration and falling fertility rates.
Mr O'Keeffe said the 2007 CSO figure for births was 70,620 -- the highest since 1982 and about 30pc higher than the figure for 2000. This would have major implications for enrolment in junior infant classes in 2011. Population growth was projected to be most intense in areas along the east coast commuter belt, the greater Dublin area and in areas surrounding cities, including Cork.
The minister pointed out that his department's planning unit was working closely with local authorities in identifying where new schools were needed and in ensuring they were delivered as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, his department yesterday released a new Area Development Plan for east Meath and south Louth. It will be used to guide decisions on school building projects over the next five years.
It charts the way forward for school planning until 2013 in Stamullen, Gormanston, Julianstown, Laytown/Bettystown, Mornington/Donnycarney (east Meath), Drogheda and Termonfeckin (south Louth).
Enrolment in the 26 primary schools in the Drogheda catchment area has increased by 40pc in a decade and is still growing. The education department has reserved three sites for primary schools in the north Drogheda area and a fourth may be needed to the north of the Northern Cross route.
Post-primary facilities will be needed in the north Drogheda environs as will a school at Laytown/Bettystown. The report recommends expansion of existing post-primary schools in the Drogheda area.
It says a post-primary school is opening in east Meath and a second one will be needed by 2018/19, which should be located in the Piltown, Colpe, Beamore area.
Funds required, not fancy maps
- Published: 03 October 2008
USING impressive digital technology, the Department of Education has produced a snapshot of the educational landscape in the year 2015, at least where schools are concerned. Those who have seen it say the Geographical Information System map is like chart for the Starship Enterprise. It shows at a glance, district by district, how many extra places will be needed in how many extra schools seven years from now.
What the technology does not tell the education boffins is how and when those places and those new schools will be delivered.
It is a stark, if colourful, illustration of the scale of the challenge facing the Government at an inconvenient time.
Yet the future of primary and secondary education is as important to the wellbeing of the nation as is the flow of money.
Taking population growth into account, about 100,000 extra school places will have to be created between now and 2015, and the department's new technology pinpoints the likely areas of concentration.
Moreover, although the impact of recession means that fewer people are coming to this country in search of work, Ireland is still an attractive proposition for many. Thousands are still arriving and boosting the population further.
More adults means more children.
The challenge for the education system is self evident. Can the system deliver? Based on experience, many parents and teachers would be worried.
Teachers are concerned about the slow reduction in class sizes. Parents write to the newspapers about the sorry state of the prefabs in which their children spend their days. Others grit their teeth and set about organising fund raising events.
By the end of this year, the Department of Education will have provided a massive €167m to meet the running costs of primary schools. Yet it has been estimated that this money covers about half what it takes to run the schools. Earlier this year an investigation confirmed that if it were not for voluntary fund raising by parents, many primary schools -- perhaps even hundreds -- would close.
Last week, the minister announced that five new primary schools are to be built and teachers described it as a drop in the ocean.
There's a long way to go, but at least we now have a colour coded map.
Teacher training in Marbella is cancelled after complaints
- Published: 03 October 2008
by: Jack Malvern
Teachers who planned to hold a training conference at a Costa del Sol resort will instead attend sessions in classrooms at their school in Staffordshire after complaints from parents.
The trip to Marbella by staff at Edensor Technology College in Longton, planned for today and tomorrow, was cancelled yesterday morning. The school could be liable for costs of up to £20,000 because of the short notice, according to Stoke-on-Trent council.
Mark Meredith, the mayor, said that it was unclear whether money spent in advance could be reclaimed. "There are guesstimates going around — it could be £20,000 or more," he said in a radio interview. ""The school is investigating this. But these are the questions that the governors will be putting to the head teacher."
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Richard Mercer, the headmaster, said in a statement: "Following the publicity concerning the proposed visit to Marbella for training purposes by staff, it has been decided to cancel the trip. The training programme will now take place at the school. It was felt that due to the pressure from media interest in the trip it would be unfair to the staff, the pupils and parents."
About 80 members of the teaching staff were to have stayed at the hotel until Sunday, the Stoke Sentinel had disclosed on Wednesday.
The trip angered parents, whose children would have been off school while the teachers were away at the beachside resort. Andy Sales, 34, said: "Why isn't this money being spent on our kids? Parents are having to take time off work or are paying for extra childcare while the staff are enjoying the sun at the school's expense."
Mr Mercer said that it was "more cost-effective" to go abroad as it is the end of Marbella's peak season. "If parents think this is a 'jolly', they should join us and find out how hard the staff work."
In a further statement, released through the council yesterday, Mr Mercer said that the school budget allowed for an annual staff conference. Governors considered nine quotes for Britain and abroad and the Marbella hotel was "the best value for money".
Mr Meredith said: "My personal view is that it was a barmy decision to hold the session in Spain. I'm pleased that they have come to their senses."
