Bankruptcy, devastation and something that will put primary education back decades, are just some of the effects that will ensue if An Bord Snip Nua recommendations are enacted, according to education bodies. Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA) says that the proposed 20% cut in capitation grant to primary schools means that Boards of Management will have insufficient funds for day-to-day costs.
“Primary education has always been under-funded even during recent times of plenty. Boards have the statutory responsibility for managing schools but they cannot continue do so without adequate funding from the state,” says Eileen Flynn, General Secretary, CPSMA.
The IPPN (Irish Primary Principals’ Network) puts it more strongly and says that “many schools will become bankrupt.” Parents, who already subsidise primary education by €50-100 per child annually, will have to even pay more at a time when many are loosing jobs and cannot afford it.
The general secretary of the INTO (primary teachers' union) John Carr says that the proposed cuts to staff levels will put primary education back decades.
"McCarthy and his colleagues have failed to recognise that there are no surplus workers in schools. Ireland has the second highest class sizes in primary schools in the EU. Already a thousand jobs have been axed. Services to special needs children, disadvantaged children and newcomer children have been already been slashed,” he says.
It is proposed:
- to cut the number of special needs assistants by up to 2000 saving €60m;
- to reduce progressively the number of English language support teachers by 1000 to save €21m and
- to suspend additional recruitment to the National Education Psychological Service saving €1.4m.
Without special needs assistants and education psychologists, children with special education needs cannot survive in mainstream classes, according to experts.
IPPN questions the recommendation that the amalgamation of small schools would save €25m. Amalgamations would require capital investment (more rooms) at bigger schools to facilitate extra children. IPPN has been piloting school clustering and states that research shows that the best way to gain cost efficiencies in smaller schools is to establish clusters with shared services.
The increase in class size will have a significant effect on the overall quality of teaching and learning, particularly when this recommendation is effectively increasing class size by two children, from 27 to 29.
IPPN President Larry Fleming recommends that the government consider issuing a special bond specifically to attract private funds which will secure long-term investment in primary education.
He says: “A guaranteed government bond with an attractive long-term interest rate is urgently needed to inject finance into the primary education system to ensure its sustainability. The education of our children should not be compromised. They are the next generation of workers. Without a well-educated work force in the decades ahead, our current difficulties will pale into insignificance.”
An Bord Snip Nua (Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes) outlines cuts totalling €746 million in Education and Science. They include:
- staffing efficiencies in primary/post-primary - €150m;
- pupil-teacher ratio to be increased from 28:1 to 29:1 - €30m;
- cuts to number of special needs assistants - €60m;
- cuts to capitation grants for primary schools - €25m;
- amalgamation of smaller primary schools - €25m;
- progressive reduction in the number of English language support teachers - €21m;
- cuts to school transport - €25m;
- cuts to teacher training & funding for education centres - €12m;
- absorb National Education Welfare Board (NEWB) into the Dept of Education and Science (DES) - €0.5m;
- reduction in allocation for National Council for Curriculum and Assessment - €0.8m;
- absorb National Council for Special Education (NCSE) into the DES - €0.3m;
- suspend additional recruitment to the National Education Psychological Service - €1.4m.
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