What’s it all about?
It’s about lobbying TDs to secure more investment in primary schools. Among the issues we are highlighting are
1. Smaller Classes
Irish class sizes are the highest in the Eurozone. Smaller classes benefit young children. Budget 2016 must provide for smaller classes.
2. Primary School Funding
Government pays 92c per pupil per day at primary and €1.77 per student at second level. Budget 2016 must close the funding gap.
3. School Leadership
The current ban on promotion must be relaxed to allow primary schools to deliver on ICT, support children with special needs and improve literacy and numeracy standards. Scoil Choca has lost 2 management posts through retirement and the embargo on refilling these posts means there are jobs which cannot be done or have to be done by other teachers.
Key elements of the campaign
The objective of the campaign is to get as many people as possible to contact local TDs in advance of the budget to demand more resources for primary education. This can be done by postcard, by email campaign or by calling to TDs clinics and asking questions.
Postcard Campaign
Postcards for parents to send to local TDs have been sent to every school and I will be distributing them this week. Could you please them to send them to our local TDs, especially government TDs this week or next.
These are the TDs in our constituency:
| Bernard | Durkan | Fine Gael |
| Anthony | Lawlor | Fine Gael |
| Catherine | Murphy | Independent |
| Emmet | Stagg | Labour |
Email Campaign
You can also contact our local public representative by email using the campaign website www.standupprimary.ie . All you have to do is go to www.standupprimary.ie, select Email your local TD and select their constituency. The programme will generate an email address for the relevant TDs and a pre-worded email. Please ask friends and family to email TDs from this site.
Stand up for primary education
A copy of the document Stand up for primary education is available in the school.