Government punishing fee-paying schools

THERE have recently been cuts to the funding given to fee-paying schools, supposedly on the basis that the parents of students can deal with higher payments for a lower education fund.

The average cost to the State of students in fee paying schools is €4,552 per student; compared to the €8,035 given to public schools’ students. Even with the €3,000 fees, the total funding per student in fee-paying schools is below that of public schools.

The explanation given for this is that the parents of children in fee-paying school are wealthy and can afford to pay the full cost of private education. For this to hold up, the Government must be under the assumption that students’ families are all wealthy, which simply is not true. There are many families, with students in such schools, which are struggling to keep their children in these schools. By doing this you will simply cause an increase in fees, making it impossible for such students to continue their education with the teachers and friends they have gone through their secondary education with.

I do not believe that my school is any better than any other, but I do not believe it should be treated worse than any other. I believe that the parents of the student body simply want the best possible education for their children and the Government is directly punishing them for this.

Sean Crowley

Kilmoney Lodge

Captains Boreen

Carrigaline

Co Cork