Parents and supporters of the seven all Irish national schools which were recently refused recognition by the Department of Education have some reason to be angry. They believed that the flexibility applied in recent years by the Minister for Education, Ms Breathnach, in interpreting the rules under which new schools are recognised, would continue to operate. They were given no prior warning of change.
Not surprisingly, the parents and their support groups have announced that they will campaign against these decisions although the Minister, through her Department, has let it be known that the door has not been finally closed on these schools. Officials met representatives of the parents last week and are said to be checking through the data which were compiled in order to assess the future viability of these projects. But there is no indication that the basic recognition requirement of an intake of 20 pupils in the start up year will be relaxed, as it was in recent years.
Gaelscoileanna were in a privileged position within the education system even before successive Ministers halved the formal intake requirement for new schools. Some 92 are now operating throughout the State and one third of these were sanctioned within the last four years by Ms Breathnach, with a further six being added last month. This contrasts with a total of 14 multi denominational schools which have received official approval in a 20 year period.
The special treatment accorded to all Irish schools includes 100 per cent grants for sites and construction work; student capitation grants of £65 and a better student/teacher ratio. Multi denominational and other primary schools have to provide their own sites, pay 15 per cent of construction costs and receive capitation grants of £45.
It is clear the Government has consistently practised active discrimination in favour of all Irish schools. But resources are limited. And proper planning requires that the Minister satisfy herself that new schools are viable in the context of a falling birth rate. Social equity in the allocation of resources must also be a consideration. This year, 11,000 fewer pupils will enter primary schools and in four years' time there will be 60,000 fewer students in the system. Already over capacity and empty classrooms are becoming a feature of primary education.
Such positive discrimination is in keeping with the State's commitment to the Irish language and goes some way towards balancing a perceived lack of rigour in supporting the language at second level. In providing resources, however, the Government must take account of the needs of the most deprived sections of our society. Ms Breathnach has designated 33 schools in the deprived areas of Dublin, Cork and Limerick to receive special teacher support in an attempt to combat acute levels of educational disadvantage. A maximum class size of 15 pupils will be the norm and capitation grants of £75 will be provided. By the end of the year, a second phase in this programme will be extended to schools with fewer than five teachers in areas of rural disadvantage.
Proposals for the establishment of Education Boards are well advanced and a School Needs Accommodation Commission is due to begin work in the autumn. These initiatives will go some way towards dealing with a rapidly evolving situation which has been caused by falling student numbers, proposals for reform and the demands of competing interests.