Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)

We all agree that we need to continue our investment in education. I would have liked to have seen the issue of pre-school education addressed in the motion because that type of investment brings great returns. Primary principals to whom I have spoken have commented positively about the investment in that it has made pupils' in junior infants classes more uniform in their readiness for school. Prior to this the children, whose parents could afford to send them to pre-school, might have stood out. Even at this early stage it has shown a definite return and it is important that this investment is protected.

The motion refers to the pupil-teacher ratio. While the ratio may apply nationally, class sizes differ considerably depending on the part of the country. I have no difficulty with positive discrimination favouring areas that are subject to social deprivation, but I have difficulty with an unfair distribution of resources. Kildare North and other areas that have grown rapidly in recent years tend to have much larger class sizes which impacts on the ability of the teacher to deliver a more interactive learning. Unfortunately class sizes of well in excess of 30 are not unusual. Particular problems arise when there are one or more children with special needs and perhaps one or more SNAs. The physical size of the classroom can be an issue. Teachers have told me they often feel they are dealing with crowd control. It is essential that there is fair play. It did not occur in the good times under the previous Administration and I am asking that this Government should pay attention to fair play.

I acknowledge the increase in SNAs. However, prior to this change we must remember that children with special needs were often educated in special schools. It is far more common for these children to be educated in mainstream schools now with the assistance of SNAs who often assist in individual education plans. We know those numbers are capped and while it often takes months to get an SNA appointed for a child, it only takes minutes to have the SNA removed, which is a retrograde step.

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