Education gets a hefty €144m investment but third-level fees are not reduced

THE Education Minister has been criticised for not reducing the student contribution fee at third level.

The payment – which reached €3,000 this September – is part of a cost-cutting regime introduced by former education minister Ruairi Quinn with a yearly fee increase of €250 since 2011.

And despite a hefty investment of €144 million in the education sector there are no plans to reduce the fee for the next academic year.

Don Myers, spokesman for the National Parents Council Post Primary, said the Government has missed a ‘golden opportunity’ to reduce the cost students and parents face at third level.

‘I can’t understand why there was no provision made to abolish or even reduce this payment in the Budget. It places a significant burden on students on top of accommodation, books and all the costs associated with going to college.

‘It doesn’t put anyone’s mind at rest in terms of tuition fees coming down the line.’

Kevin Donoghue, president of the Union of Students of Ireland said while €3million of increased investment to the student assistance fund for disadvantaged students is very welcome, he was ‘disappointed’ the fee was not reduced or removed.

He said: ‘I don’t think anyone would be able to turn around and say after today’s Budget that third-level education was prioritised or even seriously considered.

‘I was disappointed with the level of investment and considering the value third level will contribute to the economy in the coming years I think it was an oversight and one we can’t afford to have again.’

He added: ‘The fee is far too high… it needs to come down pretty sharply and pretty quickly. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the registration fees in the last six years.

‘There was space to reduce it and it should have been reduced.’

Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan said: ‘We’re not proposing to change the contribution,’ while a spokesman for the Department of Education told the Mail the student contribution fee is not a permanent measure.

The Education Minister also confirmed there would be no increase to the capitation grants for schools, which covers the day to day cost of running a school including heating and lighting.

Since 2011, the capitation grant has fallen from €200 per pupil to €173 – an 11 per cent drop. At the same time, hard-pressed parents are increasingly being asked by schools to meet the shortfall.

The Irish Daily Mail revealed in September that families are paying an average of €150 at the start of the school year to help schools with their running costs.

When asked why a provision was not made in the Budget to increase the grant, Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan said: ‘My number one priority was reducing class size.’

Teaching unions and parents welcomed the announcement of a more favourable pupil teacher ratio that will see ‘the smallest class sizes we have ever seen’.

Minister O’Sullivan said: ‘ From next September, average class sizes will decrease from 28:1 to 27:1.

‘This positive development will require approximately 300 additional teaching posts.’

The Minister also said she hopes to see class sizes fall below 25 ‘ in the coming years’.

Sheila Nunan, general secretary of the INTO said: ‘This is the first move to tackle overcrowding in nearly a decade.

‘Irish primary schools will see this as progress towards a fairer deal for children.

‘This decision will benefit children in primary schools. Teachers have more time with each pupil in smaller classes and can identify when a child is having difficulties faster.’

According to Ms Nunan, studies in the USA and Canada have shown that smaller class sizes deliver better learning outcomes, especially with younger children. Currently Irish classes are among the largest in the EU, second only to the UK.

Irish classes have an average of 25 pupils compared to an EU average of 21 per class. More than 100,000 pupils in Ireland are in supersized classes of 30 or more.

The Minister added: ‘550 additional teachers will also be provided mainly at post-primary level.’

A further 250 posts will also be used to enhance the role of deputy principals at post-primary level in schools with less than 500 students and to assist teaching principals at primary level. Some 300 teaching posts in secondary schools will be allocated to guidance counselling, which restores half of the provision withdrawn in Budget 2012.

But second level teachers union the ASTI said: ‘Budget 2016 is a missed opportunity to undo the serious damage done to second-level schools in previous budgets’

ASTI President Máire G. Ní Chiarba said: ‘We welcome the decision to create up to 500 additional teaching posts at second-level.

‘However, this is insufficient given the loss of approximately 1,700 teaching posts since 2009. There have been more than 20 separate education cuts implemented since 2009.

‘Schools are at breaking point. We see Budget 2016 as just the beginning of the reversal of these cuts.’

Meanwhile, Teachers’ Union of Ireland president Gerry Quinn said: ‘ TUI i s pleased that Minister O’Sullivan has provided some alleviation of the cut in guidance provision. TUI calls for the full reinstatement of ex- quota guidance in the 2017 budget.’

Elsewhere, €2million is being made available to develop Technological Universities in Dublin, Munster and the South-East.

Minister O’Sullivan also announced the payment of a minor works grant in 2015 and the beginning of a new €80million two-year summer works programme.

‘These direct funding schemes are very important for schools.

‘A minor works grant will be paid to schools in November and €28.5million will be invested in this scheme. Schools will also be invited to apply for a new summer works scheme which will commence next year.

‘The scheme will see €80million invested in enhancing schools between 2016 and 2017 – half of this amount in each year.’

Minister O’Sullivan also announced that the allocation for apprenticeships from within the National Training Fund is being increased by more than €10million.

She said: ‘Apprenticeships offer a high quality career path for young people leaving school.

‘The apprenticeship model, which, up until now, was largely focused on the construction trades, is now being expanded into 25 new career sectors such as financial services, travel and tourism, and hospitality.

‘These new apprenticeships will come on stream in 2016 and the expansion into these new areas and new registrations into existing areas will be supported by this additional €10.5million in funding.’

Budget 2016 will also see an €8million increase in funding for junior cycle reform – up to €17million. Some €5million will be available in capital funding in 2016 for book rental programmes, on top of the €15million grants already provided to schools each year.

‘Third level was not

prioritised’ ‘It’s a missed opportunity’