Government climb down on DEIS cuts in line with OECD recommendations

The announcement by the Minister for Education and Skills that cuts announced to DEIS schools in Budget 2012 are to be reversed is in line with a recent report from the OECD. Social Justice Ireland welcomes the partial reversal of the measures introduced by Minister Quinn in Budget 2012. The subsequent reduction in capitation grants for primary schools is problematic. It becomes clearer by the day that Government should reduce the scale of cuts it is introducing across a range of services and place a far greater focus on increasing the tax-take fairly and reduce its borrowing in this way.

·     193 posts will be lost in primary schools outside of DEIS Band I and II and in second level DEIS schools, a saving of 235 posts;

·     An extra 1.5% will be removed from the capitation grants to primary level schools in order to meet the cost of this change, bringing the overall reduction in 2012 to 3.5% or €7 per child;

·     Small rural primary schools at risk of losing a teacher due to the phased increase in teacher pupil thresholds will now be able to appeal proposed cuts in teacher numbers using projected pupil enrolment numbers for September 2012.

The retention of 235 posts is a welcome move, but reducing the capitation grants for primary schools will make it even more difficult for them to operate effectively.

The Department of Education report on the Impact of Budget 2012

To read the OECD Spotlight Report in Ireland can be downloaded below

To read the Ireland National Report Overcoming School Failure can be downloaded below