IPPN

Last Updated: Thursday, 10 December 2009 10:12

The Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) welcomes some of the measures in Budget 2010 which have secured key aspects of primary education funding.  These include;

• Maintenance of the Capitation Grant at the current level.  This has been a priority issue for IPPN over the last 5 years as it is fundamental to the financial security of schools
• Provision made for increasing the number of psychologists (NEPS) to 210.  IPPN surveys of Principals continuously report that the Education Psychological Service is the most important of all external supports to the primary school system
• Commitment to fund new mental health initiatives.  This area has been the focus of IPPN campaigns in recent years
• Continuation of the School Building Programme and the Summer Works Scheme
• Additional funding for school books and support for curricular activities (In the absence of detail, this measure is welcomed subject to it being the reinstatement of the free book scheme for disadvantaged children in mainstream schools).

However, IPPN regrets the following measures which will negatively impact on the quality of education both directly and indirectly to the 500,000 (and rising) children in primary schools.

• The extensive reduction of teacher in-service education support – decrease of over €10 million
• Discontinuation of the supply teacher scheme which is the universally accepted solution to provide for teacher sick leave.

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