Leave children in DEIS schools alone

AT a meeting of the Northside Principals’ Group meeting in Scoil Iosagáin, Farranree recently, 22 principals in Cork city met to discuss the proposed cuts to DEIS schools.

We issue a cautious welcome to the minister’s recent announcement seeking a report on the effect the budget will have on DEIS schools.

We welcome the three studies published by the Inspectorate and the Educational Research Centre, which prove what we already know: that children are really benefiting from the small class sizes, the enhanced learning support and the effective reading and maths initiatives in DEIS schools.

We see every day that the maths and reading levels of the children attending our schools are improving. Inspectors’ Whole School Evaluations and standardised tests testify to the success of our schools.

We are really proud of the progress we are making and the minister should be proud of it, too. He should be doing everything he can to protect disadvantaged children and to ensure the rising standards in schools continue to rise.

This progress has been hard-fought and we, as principals, are committed as a group to making sure that there are no cuts that will affect our pupils. We urge the government to leave children in DEIS schools alone.

We acknowledge the support of the local TDs and councillors who have lobbied on behalf of the children in our schools.

We praise their parents, the media and communities for campaigning to have these cuts reversed and urge parents to continue to lobby their politicians over the next few weeks while this report is being written. Principals believe that there is huge uncertainty about this report and hope that it is not a political move to calm concerned parents and communities. The message is simple — leave children in DEIS schools alone and ring-fence these schools from all cuts.

The principals of Scoil Cholmcille CBS, Blarney St;

St Vincent’s Convent NS, St Mary’s Road;

St Mary’s on The Hill, Knocknaheeny;

Scoil Padre Pio, Churchfield;

North Presentation Primary School, Gerald Griffin St;

Scoil Mhuire Fatima, North Monastery;

Scoil Íosagáin, Farranree;

Scoil Aiséirí Chríost, Farranree;

Sundays Well Girls’ NS;

Sundays Well Boys’ NS;

St Mark’s NS, The Glen;

St Brendan’s NS, The Glen;

Scoil Mhuire Banríon, Mayfield;

St John The Apostle, Mayfield,

St Patrick’s BNS, Gardiners Hill;

St Patrick’s GNS, Gardiners Hill;

St Patrick’s Infants NS;

Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers, Holy Cross, Mahon;

Scoil Ursula, Blackrock;

Maria Assumpta, Ballyphehane and Gaelscoil Mhachan, Mahon.

And Billy Lynch, principal, Scoil Cholmcille,

CBS on behalf of: Northside Principals’ Group, Scoil Cholmcille,CBS, Blarney St, Cork