Schoolbooks cut hits students in deprived areas

THE budget provision which allows for €7.5 million to be cut from schoolbook funds for schools in disadvantaged areas — DEIS schools — is a crushing blow to these children.

Thousands of pupils in 875 primary and second-level schools across the country will have their schoolbook grant either eliminated or at best reduced.

Put cuts in the teacher-pupil ratio, English language support teachers and Traveller teachers on top of this and it is clear this Fianna Fáil-led Government is not according any importance whatsoever to disadvantaged schools and their pupils.

This cut means that many children will have no textbooks for the year and will not be able to keep up with the school curriculum at primary and second level.

At second level many of these pupils already feel alienated by the ‘one size fits all’ exam-driven system. Without textbooks they will have no chance.

This savage cut literally means children from disadvantaged backgrounds will be deprived of the ability to learn. This is a severe injustice given that books are already less available and reading levels are significantly lower in disadvantaged areas.

It is well documented that education is the way out of poverty.

In educational terms this cut represents a form of madness, an ill-informed judgment that commits disadvantaged communities further to ignorance and thus poverty.

Given that fewer people vote in poorer areas, this is clearly the sign of a Fianna Fáil cut where political convenience rules over sound education policy.

While parents from all socio-economic groups are attempting to come to terms with the callous budget cuts, those from less-well-off backgrounds have unquestionably been hit hardest by the Lenihan income levy, increases in VAT and cuts in child benefit.

Given that a first-year student’s book bill is €400-€500, schoolbooks represent a phenomenal expense. This astonishing cutback will put unbearable pressure on those who are already hard-pressed to stay afloat.

In reality we know these kids will have to do without.

Worse still, this cut will have a seriously negative impact on literacy problems as well as school failure and dropout rates in second-level schools. A further cut in funding for local libraries that support school libraries will also affect schools in disadvantaged area.

All in all, these sinister cuts mean the chances of children from disadvantaged areas reaching third-level are further reduced as they are less likely to receive the appropriate schooling needed to get them there in the first place.

Senator Fidelma Healy Eames

Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Education and Science

Maree

Oranmore

Co Galway