Quinn condemns increase in class sizes

Ruairí Quinn TD, Labor Party Spokesperson on Education and Science, has added his voice in condemnation of the government’s decision to increase class sizes in last week’s Budget.

He said it was “a step in the wrong direction” and blamed the Government for punishing children in the Budget. He also called on the Minister for Education to reverse the decision.

“Fianna Fail promised to reduce primary school class sizes to 20 in 2002, to 24 in 2007 and now to 28 in 2008. They clearly don’t seem to understand the meaning of ‘reduce’.

“We already have the highest class sizes in the EU. The government should be trying to make them smaller, not bigger. If Batt O’Keeffe wants to avoid a similar reaction to the medical cards fiasco, I think he should reverse this heartless decision.

“I think it’s unfair for the government to make children and their parents suffer for Fianna Fáil’s mismanagement of the economy. Like the medical cards, this government wants to make the vulnerable in our society pay the price for their incompetence.“