Parents vent their anger at Council
DOZENS of parents angered at recent budgetary proposals to increase pupil teacher ratios in primary schools, joined in a public protest outside Kerry County Council buildings on Monday morning.
Receiving widespread support from county councillors, the parents represented two schools – Fybough National School and Scoil Eoin Baiste, Lispole. Both schools would lose a teacher in 2012-2013 as they are just one pupil below the newly proposed pupil-teacher ratios which are based on September 2011 figures.
Several parents spoke to The Kerryman about their fears.
From Keel, Aidan Benson has pupils in first and fifth class at Fybough NS and another child is also due to enrol. Referring to Minister Ruairi Quinn’s recent U-turn on pupil-teacher ratios in DEIS or disadvantaged schools, he says that other areas should be looked at before mainstream national schools.
“They’ve concentrated on DEIS or disadvantaged schools but in our particular instance we don’t know what is happening. We’re recommending that they review money being put into private education as a way of saving. We shouldn’t have to pay for people educating kids privately out of taxpayers funding,” Mr Benson stated.
“Yes, our school was a two teacher school years ago but the standard of education has risen and employment prospects are just not there, meaning that kids now need to proceed to third level education and they won’t do this if they don’t get a solid basis in primary school,” he added.
Meanwhile, over the next three years, 13 of the 14 Gaeltacht schools in Kerry will lose a teacher if proposed cuts, which are more drastic than mainstream schools, proceed.
Scoil Eoin Baiste, Lis Póil, currently has a principal plus three teachers but will lose a staff member in September despite rising enrolment numbers.
“We’re the generation that’s been messed up by the last government,” one parent stated, adding: “we bought overpriced houses, we lost our jobs but at least we thought our children would still get a good education”.
Paudie O Hainiféin has three children at the school.
“I would tell the minister to ‘cop on’ and have a look at the figures. I don’t think he knew what he was doing as he already admitted he made a mistake with DEIS schools,” he stated.