Principal's story: Mitchelstown CBS in Co Cork faces many of the problems which daily confront primary schools - overcrowded classrooms, lack of basic funding and poor accommodation.
The all-boys' school, which has 214 pupils, has a very strong reputation locally. It has an open enrolment policy and tries to accommodate all pupils in the area. It has about 25 special needs children and 11 newcomer children.
The school however is struggling to pay its way. Its principal, Mary O'Callaghan, is delighted with the 13 per cent increase in capitation, but wonders if even this will be enough to counter the problems.
The school now has a budget of just €31,000 a year to cover heating, lighting, hygiene, insurance, cleaning, waste and other services. Its insurance bill alone is more than €5,000, while energy costs have increased by 34 per cent.
She is exasperated by the fact that post-primary schools receive twice the level of support given to primary schools, even though both sectors face similar costs. Ms O'Callaghan says the school has little choice but to fundraise among parents and it has had to charge parents for swimming lessons. "We are to the pin of our collar, we could not manage without fundraising," she said.
The school has an allocation of seven teachers; there are 32 boys in sixth class.
Ms O'Callaghan says she is very disappointed the Government has still to deliver on its Programme for Government commitment to classes of 20 or fewer for all under-nines by 2007.
Although an administrative principal, she works from a converted book storage area, while special needs classes are held in converted cloakroom facilities. The principal says the school is very grateful for the increased support to assist pupils with special needs and newcomer children, as this is "making a difference to these children".
l Last night, John Carr of the INTO welcomed the increase in capitation for schools. However, funding for primary schools continues to lag far below second level, he said.
He acknowledged the appointment of significant numbers of additional teachers for special needs children, newcomer children and educational disadvantage.
"We regret that more has not been done to reduce class sizes further and will continue to press for greater reductions. We have the second highest class sizes in the EU, more can be done to reduce it".
