Parent power bids to overturn funding decision

IRATE parents who fear their children will lose teachers and be packed into larger classes have taken to the streets in protest.

They plan to send hundreds of letters to the Department of Education and local politicians, lobbying to protect the school’s disadvantaged status.

St Stephen’s National School in the centre of Waterford faces an uncertain future following the decision of the department to remove its disadvantaged status from 2008. Over 600 gathered for the march from the school through the city yesterday.

Parents’ Association Secretary Breda White said the school would lose two teachers and a liaison teacher if the disadvantaged status is removed.

“This will mean bigger classes and very little support for disadvantaged students,” she said.

In a letter Waterford Mayor Hilary Quinlan urged Education Minister Mary Hanafin to review the school’s case.

“At a time when the Government is planning an additional investment of €40 million per annum and the deployment of 300 extra staff in the education sector, it is very disappointing to learn of the difficulties being faced by one of Waterford’s oldest primary schools,” he said. “The feeling in this city is the Waterford Area Partnership and De La Salle Order, who have ploughed large sums into programmes to improve literacy and numeracy among the 401 pupils at St Stephen’s are effectively being penalised for their generosity,” the mayor added.

He revealed that in 46% of the households that pupils are drawn from, the main income earner is unemployed and 45% of parents were themselves early school leavers.

The department said it is forming a review mechanism to address schools that did not qualify for inclusion in the School Support Programme but regard themselves as having a level of disadvantage sufficient to warrant inclusion.

The closing date for receipt of review applications is Friday, March 31.