The attached submission has been sent to Mr Richard Bruton, Minister for Education with regard to the development of a new Strategy for Education and Skills (2016 – 2018) on behalf of the Workers’ Party, Dublin Mid-West Constituency.

Mid-West has vast areas of poverty and educational deprivation with extremely low accession rates to third level. Various agencies from the ESRI (Economic and Social Research Institute) to the Higher Education Authority point to the fact that the level of education attained is largely determined by social class. Ninety nine percent of students in Dublin 6 go to third level while disadvantaged areas such as Ballyfermot have a mere 16% accession rate. The effects of education cutbacks on schools in poor areas have been devastating and children have a grossly inferior educational experience. More affluent areas are able to fund raise and schools are resource rich in comparison.

Lorraine Hennessy, Workers’ Party representative, points out that aspirational lip service by the government advocating a fair and compassionate society is not enough. Real action towards equality of opportunity is long overdue. She is critical of the costs involved in sending children to school. In order to have equality of educational opportunity schools should be totally free, she points out. Even at primary level hundreds of euro is needed and at second level the cost is €800 approximately. These are enormous amounts for those on low incomes. Supports such as Back to School Allowance – for those who get it – covers only a small fraction of this. Parents have to decide what essential need they have to do without in order to access education even at primary and second level.

Lorraine continues, ‘Creating a level playing field is another issue to be addressed. High on the list of priorities is the removal of taxation mechanisms which allow schools in better off areas and whose students come from wealthier backgrounds to avail of tax rebates and thus fund extra teachers, supports and facilities which are not available to schools in less well-off communities. This money saved should be steered toward resource impoverished schools in deprived areas. Furthermore, Lorraine points out that justice for those long deprived of educational opportunities demand that the state pursue those evading and avoiding their fair share of tax. These offenders – revealed by the Revenue – must be pursued and decent and equal education services built for all children.

For further information contact:

Lorraine Hennessy 085 1819580

Anne Finnegan 087 9507076