Puttnam: Shame of dilapidated schools

IRELAND’S dilapidated schools are a “national shame” and the Government should see their rebuilding as a priority, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) has heard.

Speaking at the 18,000-strong union’s annual convention, keynote speaker and multi-award winning filmmaker David Puttnam said the infrastructure children are being forced to learn in is sub-standard and a potential health hazard.

Mr Puttnam, who lives in Cork, is best known for producing iconic films such as The Killing Fields, Chariots of Fire, Memphis Belle and Midnight Express, and is a former BAFTA vice-president and a trustee of the Tate gallery in London.