Budget indicates a 2% reduction in the amount allocated to the Primary Capital Building Programme

November, 19th 2004

The government decision to allocate an additional €47million for initiatives in areas of disadvantage and €67m to the provision for Special Needs is much to be welcomed. However, detailed review of the figures released show a number of areas of serious concern.

The overall proportion of State investment in Primary education as a proportion of the Education budget has declined.

Primary expenditure is increasing by 7%, Second Level by 8% and Third Level by 9%. Thus the plans announced will do nothing to reverse the long-term chronic under-funding of the primary sector.

In particular, the key indicator of funding for primary education, the capitation grant is only being increased by €12 per pupil, whilst the
equivalent grant for Second level schools has increased by €16. It remains at only 47% of the amount per pupil invested by the State at second level.

A further area of alarm is the 2% reduction in the amount allocated to the Primary Capital Building Programme. This throws into question once again the government's commitments to solve the national scandal of sub-standard school facilities for National School children throughout the country.

Lastly, the extraordinary high figures being taken out of these estimates to finance the Commission on Child Abuse and the Residential Institutions
Redress Scheme are shocking. These are being allocated 93% and 42% increases and represent the largest increases of all educational estimates for next year, taking a full €100m out of the budget for education next year.

Educate Together calls on the government to address the core objective of reversing the under funding of primary education by allocating a further
€42m to the primary capitation grant bringing it up to €233 per pupil and to reverse the reduction in the capital building programme.

ENDS