Schools asked to survive on less than a euro per day per child, says CPSMA.
CPSMA welcomes the Minister’s decision regarding the retention of 235 DEIS posts as well as the announcement that so-called “small” schools will be allowed to appeal the loss of a teacher where there is a projected increase in enrolments. While CPSMA welcomes the Department of Education and Skills engagement with it on these issues, further engagement is required regarding the issue of so-called “small” schools.
Eileen Flynn, General Secretary of CPSMA, is also extremely concerned regarding the further cut to the capitation grant. Ms. Flynn said that the original cut to the capitation grant was not the 2% announced but 3.6%.
“The new cut is in fact 6.3% and not the 3.5%
announced,” she said today.
Each Primary school in the country will lose €12 per pupil. She described it was ironic that the previous cut would have meant that schools would have received a euro per pupil for each school day while schools must now survive on less than a euro a day per pupil.
“Schools are struggling to survive financially
and when the proposed abolition of the minor works grant is taken into account,
many schools will simply not be able to pay their bills”, she added.
Schools are asked to budget ahead but how can they do this when cuts are announced mid school year, apply retrospectively and which compared to other sectors leave primary schools even more disadvantaged.
“CPSMA is also deeply concerned that the changes
to learning support will disproportionately affect disadvantaged girls schools.
The decision to round down the provision for posts is also a retrograde step.
The failure to reverse the decision to continue to allow schools combine
learning support and resource hours will effectively mean that the most
vulnerable children in schools will lose valuable education time which will now
be taken up in travel time by teachers. One could not think of a less
appropriate use of scarce resources”, concluded Ms. Flynn.
CPSMA will continue to liaise with the Department so that these concerns are addressed.