Ireland near bottom of the class for school spend

THE Government has failed students as figures show Ireland has one of the lowest spends per student at both primary and secondary level in Europe, unions claimed last night.

With just days to go to the start of a new term, the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) and the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) said students will return to some of Europe’s most overcrowded and under-funded schools.

They also accused Education Minister Mary Hanafin of putting a positive spin on the latest figures on student numbers, Government spending and pupil-teacher ratios at primary, second and third level which were published yesterday.