Promises on Education

Election promises on education

Fianna Fail

• 4,000 more primary school teachers.
• At secondary level, reduce class size in the core subjects of Irish, English and Maths.
• Build new schools.
• Hire extra guidance counselors.
• Improve special-needs services. 

Fine Gael   

• Support for one year pre-school.
• Smaller classes in primary schools.
• Ensure support for children with disabilities and special needs.
• School Excellence Fund to achieve pupil goals, more teachers, improving literacy and numeracy.
• Upgrade science and technology at every level.
• Invest in science and research in a way that supports new and existing industries.

Labour

• Double the capitation grant for primary schools from €163.58 to €320.
• Class sizes capped at 15:1 in disadvantaged schools, 25:1 in mainstream primary schools.
• Stop schools being in temporary accommodation by providing the full costs of setting up schools.
• Build community use of school buildings into school designs.
• Speed up project times.
• Target an end to the use of pre-fabs.

Greens

• Increase the standard capitation grant from €163.58 per pupil at primary level to €325 per pupil and also increase the secondary school grant. • Increase grant for physical education sports equipment up to €3,215 per school.
• Provision of an additional top-up grant of €15 per child per school.
• Reduce the average class size in a primary school down to 20.
• One year's free pre-school education.

Sinn Fein 

• All-Ireland implementation of the ‘Right to Education from Early Years to 18'.
• Pupil / teacher ratio of 15:1 at primary level, 12:1 at pre-school.
• A system of adult and community Education.
• Adequate numbers of education-support personnel.
 • All schools to be adequately funded  so they can tackle the literacy problems of nearly one quarter of Irish adults.

 PDs

• Invest over €5bn in school infrastructure and development.
• Conditions in planning permission to guarantee that large new developments must include school facilities. • Reduce class sizes, to maximum of 25 per class in national schools.
• Double the output of 4th Level graduates.
• A €26bn investment in education and training.
• Provide 600 teachers for language supports in the education sector by 2009.  

Socialist Party

• Free secular education from pre-school to university.
• 100 per cent funding for schools to end the need for “voluntary contributions”.
• Invest to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio to 15:1.
• Eliminate waiting times for accessing pupils with special needs.
• Guarantee school places for every child.
• No to new housing developments unless adequate school provision is guaranteed.
• End the scandal of children in temporary classrooms or substandard schools.