INTO CONFERENCE:CHANGING ECONOMIC circumstances make it impossible for the Government to deliver on all its education commitments, the Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, told the INTO conference.
Ms Hanafin, who has received standing ovations in the past, was jeered and heckled during her address - especially on the issue of overcrowded classrooms.
Departing from her speech, the Minister told delegates: "Yes I would like to have done more on class size - but these are more difficult economic times." When some delegates heckled, she responded; "Unfortunately we do have to listen to the facts."
Against the background of the new economic situation, she said the additional €690 million - or an 8 per cent increase - for education this year compared to the budget for 2007 was significant. "While it has not been enough for me to do as much as I would have liked this year - particularly . . . on class size and capitation - it will, however, enable us to consolidate the major service improvements that have been put in place in recent years and to make some significant improvements."
Ms Hanafin said the Government had not abandoned its commitment to reduced class size progressively over the lifetime of this Government.
On school buildings, she said the summer works scheme of refurbishments - cancelled for this year - would return in 2009.
In all, funding of €390 million for primary school buildings this year would enable work to be completed on about 70 large-scale primary school projects and 150 other projects - providing more than 17,000 permanent school places, she said.
It was also significant , she said, that the number of language support teachers in primary schools had increased from fewer than 150 in 2002 to more than 1,500 now.
The Minister also listed developments in special education:
6,000 additional teachers and special needs assistants have been put in place - mostly at primary level - bringing the total of special education staff to about 19,000.
The level of training available to teachers has improved significantly.
All schools have been assigned resource teaching hours based on their enrolment figures.
The application process for extra supports has been transformed with the establishment of the National Council for Special Education and its team of more than 80 local special educational needs organisers.
A significant expansion in the number of educational psychologists is also under way, with a view to all schools having a direct service by 2009/2010.
On autism, she said that in the past year alone about 100 more special classes for autistic children had been set up, bringing the total number to almost 280.
"I have been hugely appreciative of the willingness of primary schools to set up such classes. Inclusion is the desire of the vast majority of parents and I commend you for making it possible.
"At the same time, special schools will continue to play a hugely important role as part of the range of options available.
"In fact, I recently sanctioned two new special schools in Dublin and Limerick."
On teaching numbers, she said there were now about 6,000 more primary teachers on the department's payroll than there were in 2002.
Extra teachers had been provided in the 2006/07 and 2007/08 school years specifically to reduce class sizes.
"The Programme for Government contains a commitment to provide 4,000 additional primary teachers between 2007 and 2012. With the extra teachers already put in place this year and those provided for in the Budget, we are ahead of target with about 2,000 extra primary teachers to be delivered within just two years."