Recessions come and go but prefabs endure

HOW can we claim to be an advanced and prosperous nation, committed to education as a core value, and still allow young people to be educated in creaking, leaking, inadequate prefabricated classrooms? This question was with us 20 years ago, as the economic boom was building. It seemed to answer itself through the cash-starved and lost decade. Now, as we face into two years of “robust economic growth”, we are still asking the same dreary question.

Recessions come and recessions go – but those prefab classrooms just go on. Pupils suffer in the short-term and teachers face longer-term working conditions which are of very questionable quality. It is simply not good enough.

Ireland as a schools ‘prefab nation’ just persists. Those political promises from various parties going back over the decades just appear to be going into reverse.

In recent years, we have seen hundreds more prefabs materialising in school grounds despite many promises of new school buildings.

In the past 12 months alone, the number of prefab classrooms has soared by some 200. Across the nation, there are now 1,200 temporary classrooms, as lamentably our school infrastructure is creaking.

All of this comes despite commitments five years ago that all prefabs would be eliminated. It is a very discouraging situation and reflects badly upon our Government which has been in power for over seven years.

Parents and other local community activists will tell you many schools are still waiting for building work which was promised up to 15 years ago. We are not showing a great example to the rising generation of school pupils.