Schools plead for doubling of grants in Budget
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 01 October 2008 01:00
By John Walshe Education Editor
SEVEN groups representing the managements of 3,200 primary schools yesterday joined forces to warn of the dangers of "chronic underfunding" in primary education.
The "Cinderella" status of primary education is no longer acceptable, they said, as they called for a doubling of the capitation grant in this month's Budget from €178 to €356 per pupil.
"Our primary schools are under-funded, under-resourced and under-staffed" said a statement from groups representing Catholic, Church of Ireland, Muslim, special, Gaelscoil and multi-denominational schools.
They said schools this year were being forced to depend on an ever-increasing burden of fundraising to meet basic costs.
Outgoing general secretary of the Catholic Primary School Management Association, Monsignor Dan O'Connor, gave examples of schools that were in the red, despite extensive fund raising.
One school in a middle-class area with 275 pupils still had a shortfall of €18,750 after huge fundraising efforts.
It raised €9,406 on a hop, skip and jump event; €13,685 through voluntary contributions; €4,415 through activities such as packing bags in a supermarket; €10,000 from the trustees; €6,266 from a Christmas concert; and €2,551 from rental of the school hall to outside groups.
He also disclosed that three disadvantaged schools in the Dublin area had shortfalls ranging from €21,162 to €77,876. These schools had no hopes of raising the necessary funds, and the diocese or religious trustees had to bail them out.
Mgr O'Connor, who takes up a new position today as parish priest in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, said he feared we were returning to the situation he found 25 years ago when became involved in primary education.
"Essentially there are three types of school --wealthy, where shortfalls can be made up by fundraising; a second group where funds are limited and the schools depend on the parish and a third type where no fundraising at all is possible".
Donall O Conaill, Runai, Foras Patrunachta na Scoileanna Lan-Ghaeilge, said that the inadequate funding impacted very seriously on gaelscoileanna.
Embargo
He said that there were up to 11 new Gaelscoileanna ready to go next year but they did not know if they could go ahead because of the embargo on new schools outside of rapidly developing areas.
Antoinette Buggle from National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education said the shortfall was putting increased pressure on boards of management to make appropriate provision for children in their care including children with severe behavioural difficulties and complex health issues.
The impact of the large number of children aged 12 years plus leaving mainstream schools who were seeking admission to special schools had put further strain on already over-stretched funds.
Paul Rowe, CEO of Educate Together, said that this is a "critical juncture for Irish education. We must throw off the attitudes of the last century and have the confidence to invest in our future. Social and economic prosperity will not come without investment".
"The top priorities for this government should be the doubling of the primary capitation grant, the reform of the grant system and sustained and increasing investment in our primary schools."
