Primary Education and the Economy 08/07/08

Statement by John Carr, General Secretary, Irish National Teachers Organisation, On Primary Education and the Economy

8 July 2008

INTO says primary education must not be cutback

The Irish National Teachers Organisation said today there must be no cutbacks in primary education.

Stressing that there was no room for cuts in primary education Mr Carr, General Secretary of the primary teachers union, pointed out that on average OECD countries spend 6.2 percent of GDP on education while Ireland spends just 4.6 per cent. “We are being outspent by most our European neighbours,” said Carr, “despite the fact that we have greater per capita wealth.”

Mr Carr also pointed out that on top of a general under-spend on education, Ireland spends far less on primary education than on other parts of the education system. “For every five euro spent at primary, seven is spent at second level compared to ten at third level. Half of the nation’s children are being educated at primary level on less than one-third of total education expenditure,” he said.

“Chronic under-funding means primary schools have to fundraise through raffles, cake sales and charity walks.”

He also said under-spending on primary education meant that Irish pupils remain in the second most overcrowded classes in the EU.

But according to Carr, despite already low investment in primary education, there are already signs that spending is being cutback in certain areas of primary education

“There is a definite slowdown in the school building programme this year,” said Mr Carr. He said the cancellation of the Summer Works Scheme and the failure to progress promised school buildings to construction this year amounted to serious cutbacks in the school building programme.

He described the review of the school building programme underway in the Department of Education as a cutback by stealth, designed to reduce spending in the current year.

He called the slowdown as foolish given that an additional 100,000 pupils will enter primary schools over the next ten years requiring the equivalent of 400 new schools. He also said the spare capacity in the building industry at present would enable the Department to secure value for money in school building and contribute to keeping the construction industry buoyant.

He said the failure to honour the commitment to invest €252 million in school computers was another cutback. “This decision, on top of the 21 ICT advisors posts which were recently axed, will have long term negative effects on Irish education.”

The Department’s view is that each school will provide its own support in the area of IT. This is completely unrealistic as very few schools have the necessary expertise and the axing of the advisors posts limits the possibility of developing it.

ENDS