New class size figures show reality of education system
Issued : Wednesday 9 September, 2009
The revelation by the Department of Education and Science that over 92,000 primary school children are in classes with over thirty pupils highlights the reality of our education system. It is overcrowded, under-funded and stretched to capacity. And this is before the implementation of the cutbacks announced in last October's cutbacks.
Primary school pupils are returning to school this month and facing into classes that are too large to allow them to realise their full educational potential. It is simply unacceptable that so many children should be taught in such overcrowded classes. In Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, for instance, there are more than 4,120 children in classes of between 30 and 34. 26% of primary school children in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown area will be in classes of between 30 and 34 the second highest in the Country after Carlow.
When they were seeking the people's support prior to the last general election, Fianna Fail promised to cut class sizes. But the direction of policy under the Fianna Fail/Green government has been to deliberately increase class sizes.
Batt O'Keeffe's policy of cutback after cutback has caused the people to lose faith in this government, as the findings of the recent opinion poll graphically demonstrate. Fianna Fail have not only wrecked the economy, they are wrecking our education system too.
This is a dismal situation. As classes resume this month in schools around the country, we all know there will probably be close to 100,000 pupils in classes with over thirty pupils.
Statistics published this month show that 75,000 children were born last year. In four years time they will be starting school. If Batt O'Keeffe continues with his policies of reducing expenditure on education, the only certainty is that there will be even larger class sizes for years and years to come.
Cllr 
