Hanafin pledges to double funding for primary pupils

AMID claims by teachers that primary schools are struggling to fund basicessentials such as heating, the Education Minister has promised to double funding per child — if her party is returned to power.

With the election just weeks away, Mary Hanafin said, if elected, it was Fianna Fáil policy to double funding from €163.50 per year per child to €327 per head for primary school children.

The increased funding will see the €83 million annual cost for the capitation grant double. This will put it on a par with funding for secondary students, though her office admitted that funding for secondary students will also be hiked.

The minister broke the news at the INTO annual conference in Cork yesterday.

She reiterated plans to appoint 4,000 primary school teachers and reduce class sizes to an average of 24 per teacher within three years of the next term in Government.

The cash injection announcement allowed the Minister to take a swipe at Fine Gael, who, she said ‘were not at the races’ on primary school funding.

“Fine Gael have set €100m aside for primary education which is going to do everything. It is going to have primary schools competing against each other which is the one thing (INTO general secretary) John Carr today said he did not like about the system in Northern Ireland.

“That €100m would give 2,000 extra teachers. That would not even meet the population demands. Classroom sizes would have to rise. If they think they are going to cover special needs, the disadvantaged,numeracy and literacy and everything else for under €100m they are not at the races.”

Fine Gael responded by accusing the minister of rehashing her party’s promises from the last election.

“Education Minister Mary Hanafin may have unveiled her Government’s proposals to reduce class sizes, but they are remarkably similar to the proposals made by her predecessor at the last general election,” said Fine Gael Education spokeswoman Olwyn Enright.

“The minister should outline immediately how she intends to ensure a sufficient supply of teachers to meet this re-hashed commitment on class sizes.”

However, she said there were ample teachers coming through the education system to meet the demand though she added there would be full employment in primary teaching.