Give grant aid for special needs education

THERE is one possible solution to the Government’s difficulty in providing adequate funding for special needs education.

Schools such as Gonzaga College, St Andrews, Blackrock College, St Michael’s, St Columba’s, etc, are in receipt of expensive fees per pupil, paid by affluent parents.

These schools are also in receipt of generous government grant aid. The Government should request the Christian leaders of these schools to forgo the state aid, which could be assigned to the hard-pressed area of special needs education. To maintain an education for their children in an exclusive bubble, the well-off parents, no doubt, would only be too happy to pay increased fees. Seeing as our Minister for Education attended Blackrock College and St Michael’s, perhaps he is the one to motivate such schools.