Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Constitution does not contain much by way of explicit positive rights or social and economic rights of which the people can avail. However, the right to a certain minimum education is guaranteed under Article 42. We and all the children of the nation are entitled to it. Often, however, the real meaning of education is lost upon the Government and its officials.

One of the most ignoble episodes in recent Irish educational history was the dreadful spectacle of successive Fianna Fáil education Ministers dragging children with special needs, such as Jamie Sinnott and Paul O'Donoghue, and their parents through the courts system, arguing against these children receiving a full education and trying to limit their right to an education. In the O'Donoghue case, the High Court played down what was meant by education in this State. The court found that the right to free primary education in Article 42.4 of the Constitution was not confined to simply scholastic education provided in primary schools between ages four and 12, but was about fuller development on a human and social level, not merely an academic level, and extended to include the needs of all children, however limited their capacities.

Education is about the full development of our young people and should involve so much more than books and study. The arts, sport, and cultural pursuits have a significant role to play in the type of young people that we raise and bring through the educational system. Art has long been considered something of a luxury subject, something akin to an add-on. None of this is the responsibility of the teachers, but the reality is that the history of arts and education in this State is decidedly weak.

The Government recently introduced the arts in education charter. While it contains much that is positive, there is a great deal of concern that it could end up the same as the countless reports and documents that have been introduced in the past decade or two on the role of art in education - gathering dust and not implemented. There is no set budget for the arts in education charter. Without one, we are simply expecting goodwill from teaching staff.

If the Government is seeking goodwill to implement projects like these, it should drastically change its approach to how it engages with teachers and their unions. Given the significant role teachers play in society, it is shameful that the Government continues to seek to brow beat and bully them into accepting poorer conditions. The ability of teachers to bring in such projects as the arts in education charter rests not only on support and on resources, important though they are, but also on the atmosphere in the classroom or school. As it is, morale in schools is low as conditions deteriorate.

This is likely to be exacerbated by any increase in the pupil-teacher ratio.

Teaching and exploring art with pupils requires attention to be given to individual students in small groups. How we can expect a teacher to be able to do that in a class of 30 - as may be the case in many places - is beyond me. Without a change in approach the Minister for the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will find his project sunk by his colleagues due to oversized classes.

Likewise, we are far behind the rest of the world in terms of sport and physical education. Pupils in Irish primary schools spend less time in physical education classes than those of any other EU member state. The EU's education information network, EURYDICE, states that both in absolute and proportionate terms Ireland has fewer hours of compulsory PE classes than any other EU member state.

We then wonder where our obesity crisis is coming from. Our lack of PE is truly scandalous but sadly not surprising. The reality is that the Minister lacks a vision for education in this State. He has ambitions and, perhaps, aspirations, but certainly no over-arching vision. He would do well to look at his counterpart in the North, John O'Dowd MLA who, in spite of extremely difficult circumstances, has succeeded in substantially improving educational outcomes. He is transforming the whole philosophy of education by ending academic selection and increasing the amount of school meals for disadvantaged children.

There is a need for an overall vision and a total change of approach. The Minister should consider that in terms of his Department, more so than any others, the decisions he makes in the forthcoming budget will still be affecting people and their prospects decades from now due to lost opportunities. It will follow them for the rest of their lives.

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