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Government "toying with children's
futures"
22.02.12
DONEGAL Sinn Féin TD,
Pearse Doherty, has hit out at the Minister for
Education's decision to cut the capitation funding
for schools in lieu of axing Deis teachers.
“(Tuesday's) announcement to partially reverse the
cut to urban Deis schools is to be welcome, however
demanding that rural schools take a 3.5% cut to the
capitation funding for primary schools in 2012 is
appalling.
"Many schools already have to fund their running
costs through cake sales, voluntary donations from
parents and other fundraising activities.
"This in effect will mean a €5 cut for every child.
While some of the larger schools will be able to
absorb this cut, it will impact deepest on the
smaller schools." |
The Sinn Féin finance
spokesman added: “In December’s budget the Fine Gael
and Labour Government launched a full attack on
small rural schools, by increasing the number of
pupils they require to retain a classroom teacher.
"As a result of this change dozens of schools will
lose teachers and pupils will be forced into larger
multiple classes. Many parents, teachers and
concerned citizens will be shocked that the result
of their lobbying efforts to have this cut reversed
was for the Minister not to reverse the decision but
today to impose even greater hardship on these same
schools by cutting their funding by 3.5%. |
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Deputy Pearse Doherty. |
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“There can be no doubt
about it, this Government is hell bent to see the
closure of schools across rural Ireland. The public
must let them know that we will not stand idly by
while they toy with our children’s futures.” |
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