The Quay school in Westport is down in funding by up to €50,000 a year as a result of education cuts, and this is a typical scenario in other small schools around the country, according to Westport Fianna Fáil cumann chairman, John Meaney, who is also principal of the Quay school.
At the October Westport Fianna Fáil cumann meeting, Mr Meaney outlined cuts that had occurred following the reduction in the pupil teacher ratio over the last three years as follows: the loss of a €10,000 grant for computer maintenance; notification had also just been received that an annual maintenance grant of just under €10,000, required for basic necessities such as fixing a hole in the roof, was also gone. Additionally, a small annual grant of €2,900, to fund disadvantage, was now gone as well as a €5,000 book rental grant - which in his school of 230 pupils worked out at approximately €20 per pupil - not even enough to buy two books each for the year. The school also had to come up with an additional €3,000 a year since the introduction of water charges three years ago. A re-classification of insurance risks in relation to permanent and prefab extensions in schools meant that their premiums had also shot up.
On the basis that the school is open 38 weeks a year, all of these changes were costing the Quay school an extra €1,500 a week, which worked out at between €45,000 and €50,000 a year, Mr Meaney said.
Joan Geraghty added that as a parent of young children going to school it was becoming common practice that fundraising for schools was now organised around parents. The same was happening in health care regarding hospitals and it was important to call a halt to this becoming a habit or expectation.
Donal O’Shea said it was a great thing when Donagh O’Malley brought in free education and cutting education funding was a disaster. Mr O Shea added: “The man in there at the moment hasn't a clue. By cutting education funding you are regressing the economy because the people are the economy.”
David Hughes said he noted reports on a new scheme to upskill teachers to handle bullying. He did not believe bullying was a huge issue in schools nationwide and this was a diversionary tactic to divert attention away from cuts. Mr Meaney agreed that bullying was not a big issue for small rural schools at least. Mr Meaney said: “This training will never happen because it would cost at least €200 million to resource it.”
