Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)

I am slightly concerned by the Minister's answer in regard to the increase in student numbers. It smacks of another disgraceful reason which I heard proffered by some of the unions, namely, the increase in the number of foreign nationals coming here. What I am hearing is a reluctance on the part of some key players to accept responsibility for a system which is failing and failing badly. We have had the biggest decline in educational standards in the developed world in a decade at the same time as we doubled the per capita investment in education, which is a total failure of the system rather than of individual teachers. What concerns me - the situation is the same in respect of the universities - is that I am not hearing an acceptance of this failure. I believe that while the economic situation is obviously the short term threat for Ireland, if we do not only stop this decline but reverse it as quickly as it happened, we will be consigning ourselves to be a second world country for a long time.

Part of the problem is finance. In absolute terms, there will be a 6% cut in capitation grants for schools over the next few years. When one factors in 2% inflation per year, one gets an extra 8% cut in spending power. When one factors in an additional 40,000 or more new students one gets a per student reduction in funding per capitation of 20%. For the universities, this is 30%. Major changes in management practices are required. I am hearing the unions or the Government acknowledge that huge changes are needed. This is not marginal. I welcome the various initiatives being introduced. I am fully aware of the budgetary pressures we are under. However, I believe we need to increase funding in education, in tandem with major reforms to the sector.

In the 1990s when Finland broke its ties to the Soviet Union and its unemployment rate increased from 3% to 18%, it increased its funding in education. I am not seeing brave new ideas here. In 1989 New Zealand had a failing education system. It was in a similar situation to that which we are in now and it closed its Department of Education and set up a ministry of education. I am not suggesting we do that now. However, in terms of game changers, I am not hearing anything. I welcome what is being done but I am not hearing any game changers in respect of a system that is collapsing quite catastrophically, one which will provide 20% less money per student at secondary level and 30% less per student at third level. I am becoming increasingly concerned that our system, despite good efforts at the margin, will continue to decline in a manner that will cause this country harm for the next 30 or 40 years.

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