Madam, - In last Tuesday's Irish Times, Education Editor Sean Flynn hailed the INTO campaign on class sizes as one of the success stories of 2007. As a primary school principal, I attended a number of the INTO rallies in the mid-west region, along with thousands of parents of schoolgoing children. I listened to one TD after another declare his commitment to reducing class sizes. Classes in Ireland, after all, are the second largest in the OECD.
However, I was interested to note, post-Budget, that Minister for Education Mary Hanafin admits it will not be possible to meet commitments to reducing class size. Her target was to reduce from 28 to 27 the increase in numbers needed for a primary school to appoint a new teacher.
Being possessed of a reasonably good memory, I recall that the 2002 Programme for Government promised to reduce class sizes so that all children under the age of eight would be in classes of fewer than 20 pupils. However, in a period of undreamt prosperity, it was not until 2006 that the first faltering step at reducing class sizes was taken (we had a general election in 2007). Now, budgetary conditions deem that the children and parents of the country must wait. Again.
If an issue as basic as class size cannot be tackled in the very best of times, how are we to believe there is any commitment to improving this appalling situation? I trust the 18,000 parents who flocked to class size rallies have good memories also.
- Yours, etc,
JOE LYONS, Sruthan, Barnakyle, Patrickswell, Co Limerick.