SCHOOL FACILITIES:SUB-STANDARD conditions are still the norm in many primary schools, the INTO conference was told yesterday.
Limerick delegate Risteard Casey said these "deplorable conditions are not only depressing for pupils and staff, but are downright unjust". He said existing schools were losing out as pressure built up to provide new schools in developing areas.
"We all understand that school places have to be provided for pupils in the developing areas. However, these school places are a matter of contingency and contingency monies should be allocated by Government for these schools . . . The ordinary rural schools, which took their place in the queue, shouldn't have to be sacrificed for those who are jumping the queue," he said.
New INTO president Declan Kelleher (Clare ) said the decision by the Minister to cut back funding from schools in the queue for school buildings to fund emergency schools in Dublin was deeply flawed. "We are in a cutback situation in the vital area of school buildings. It is the fault of the flawed logic of the 'rob Peter to pay Paul school of economics' presided over by the Minister for Education," he said.
The result, Mr Kelleher said, is total chaos, with hundreds of schools that have applied for additional accommodation being left hung out to dry for next September and indeed also for the following September. "This flawed logic has also allowed schools like Rahan in Co Cork and Kilfinnane in Co Limerick, where conditions have forced regular parent protests, to continue to queue whilst pupils and staff are forced to tolerate Dickensian conditions."
Mr Kelleher criticised the scrapping this year of the summer works scheme used to carry out repairs and upgrading of schools.
"We are now in a situation where 800 primary schools have been effectively prevented from carrying out essential works," he said.
Listowel delegate Catherine Ferris said her school was promised new accommodation after a wait of 30 years. "However, in January 2008, the list appeared and - guess what? - we are still waiting."
Frank Roche (South County Dublin) said schools would not be facing a funding crisis, sub-standard buildings, fundraising to cover essential spending and supermarket tokens for computers if there was a genuine commitment to the education of our children.
