Ahern defends failure to meet class size targets
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said today he made no apologies for using educational resources to prioritise disadvantaged areas rather than to “slavishly” stick to Government targets.
He admitted his Government had so far failed to live up to promises to reduce class sizes for the under nines but said it had instead focused on the improvement of special needs facilities and schools in certain areas.
“I understand there are people who just want to look after the better off but that isn’t my policy,” he told the Dáil.
“It is true that what we set out to do we have not yet done. But the Government is committed to reaching its target.”
The target set in the 2002 Programme for Government was to hit international best practice guidelines of pupil/teacher ratios of 20:1 for the under nines by 2007. It would involve an extra 2,500 teachers and cost an estimated €110m.
But the Taoiseach said the priority had been to improve class sizes in areas of educational disadvantage.
“The reality is that, as teachers come on board, you either have to slavishly follow targets or look at the more appropriate area,” he said.
“I make no apologies. We made a decision to put 2,500 teachers into resource education, which we didn’t promise, rather than just pull down the pupil/teacher ratio, and to benefit those who are most in need.
“While we didn’t do exactly as we said in the Programme for Government I am not going to say that it wasn’t the right decision.”
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny accused Mr Ahern of having no concept of how bad the situation was and claimed the Department of Education had told school principals not to contact them with any problems via telephone.
“Do you understand that there are 6,000 assessments in the Department untouched?” he asked. “Do you understand how the public feels when they are told the Government has broken its contract and are telling the people lies?
The Taoiseach said it was not true that teachers could not call the Department of Education.
He said teacher training places had increased by 30%, legislation had been established to underpin the rights of children with special needs and there were an additional 4,000 teachers at primary level.
Education Minister Mary Hanafin triggered an outcry when she claimed Government targets for the under nines were impossible to keep.
Both the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation and the Primary Principals’ Network are adamant that they can still be met by 2007.
