Pat the Cope Gallagher TD, has called on the Minister for Education Richard Bruton and the Department of Education, to increase the level of Schools capitation grant available to Primary and Secondary schools.
He said many schools throughout the country are experiencing financial difficulties with over 11% cut in the level of financial support available to the schools over the past 4 years.
The accumulative effect of capitation grant cuts over the past number of years, is now adversely affecting many of our schools, he said.
“Numerous schools are struggling to run on the reduce budget levels, with many in a serious financial position and others depending solely on the voluntary contribution made by parents.
“The amount which parents have to pay by way of voluntary contribution to bridge the gap between the shortfall in state funding and the amount necessary to run the schools, is increasing and becoming a financial strain on many families. The Department of Education must now review and increase the capitation grant levels allowing for the growing demands on both Primary and Secondary Schools.”
The West Donegal TD said the first priority must be to ensure that our schools are properly funded without adding any burden on families.
He urged the Government that now was the time to invest in education, invest in the future of the children and provide the country with the skills set necessary for the future development and advancement of our country in the years ahead.
“Ireland’s current level of investment and funding in education is falling behind the EU average, whereby we rate amongst the bottom ten countries for resourcing primary level education, considerably below average for investing in the secondary level and amongst the bottom 5 countries for third level investment in terms of GNP spending on the education sector.
“The reality of growing class sizes in our schools and the pressures schools are under as a result of the pupil teacher ratio, highlights a sector under considerable pressure and one which the Government must prioritise and provide additional funding for in the budget,” he said.
Pat the Cope supported the children’s charity Barnardos’ request, that additional funding of €103 million euro be invested in the education sector, this investment would make primary education completely free and abolish the need for voluntary contributions at primary school level from parents.
He added it is also apparent that additional funding is needed in the secondary level in order to support that sector particularly with the reforms in the junior cert and other changes to the curriculum being proposed.
Deputy Gallagher concluded by stating that as additional recourses become available to the state, it is imperative that the education sector obtain additional investment and that the financial strain and worry of sending children to school be lifted from parents.
“The future prosperity and success of our country will depend on the largest part to the educational opportunities we provide for our students of today – a failure to provide for education is a failure to maximise the future potential of this country.”
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