If the situation in Ireland isn’t bad enough our current Mininster for Education is proposing drastic cuts across all areas of the educational system. The recently release OECD report
concluded:

Ireland spends less on education, spending only 4.7% of it’s GDP in educaiton, comparied to an average of 5.7% across 30 OECD countries.

At second level only one country in the EU, the Slovak Republic, invested a lower proportion of its GDP on students in secondary school.

Irish primary schools have the 2nd largest class size than all the other EU countries surveyed. There are 4 more pupils in Irish classes than in other EU countries.

Only Britain has larger class sizes in the entire EU.

Only Britain, Japan, Korea an dturkey have bigger classes than Ireland.

Although these statistics are grim the situation in reality is much worse because statistics are gathered from the Department of Education and Science skews its statitics on class size.

And things are about to get worse: class size is set to increase next year. Perhaps 2000 teachers will lose their jobs as a result of budget cuts.

In special education the situation is dire. Cuts are proposed in Language Support teachers, the closing of special education classes (with no extra supports provided in the mainstream), reducing the number of Special Needs Assistants and increases in class size at both primary and secondary level. These changes will have a negative impact on the lives of many children. Let’s give one clear example:

Children with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome who are leaving primary school and entering secondary school have considerable difficulty finding a school that will accept them. Enrollment policies at second level are stacked against people on the autistic spectrum. The situation is even worse when it comes to those few secondary schools that have dedicated autism units becuase the entry rules most often state they will not accept a student with significantly below average intelligence. So often there is simple no where for these children to be educated. As a result they suffer, their families suffer and ultimately society suffers.

Things are bad and getting worse!

By: Dr. David Carey