Spending on education will exceed £3 billion for the first time next year with a 16 per cent rise over 1999. Capitation grants and building programmes will benefit particularly, according to the Minister for Education and Science, al Mr Martin.
While the Minister was clearly pleased at the scale of the increases, they got a scathing response from the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, especially over the modest increases (2 per cent and 1 per cent) in funding for clerical assistance and caretakers. The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland said it wants to see what is done about staffing in the Budget.
Total spending on education next year will be £3,033 million compared with £2,609 million this year.
The primary schools sector will get £925 million of this - a 10 per cent rise on this year. Second-level and further education will get £1,079 million, up 11 per cent. Third-level and further education will get £795 million, up 15 per cent.
The capitation grant for primary schools will rise by £11, bringing the total to £71 per pupil.
Funding for childcare assistants for children with special needs will go up by 50 per cent. Currently there are over 600 such assistants.
Spending on new primary school buildings and renovations will go up by 44 per cent to £79 million. This brings the total increase under this heading to 186 per cent since 1997 "and allows the undertaking of the largest school building programme in our history," the Minister said.
At second level, capitation will go up by £8 to £190 per pupil. Buildings and renovations will get £100 million, a rise of 70 per cent.
At third level, funding for initiatives to encourage participation by disadvantaged people will rise by 145 per cent to £3.4 million. Current Exchequer spending on research and development at third level will rise by 67 per cent to £12.5 million.
"In only three years, this Government will have increased education funding by 45 per cent," the Minister said. "As a result, our classes are smaller, our schools are better resourced and more modern, the opportunity to go to college has been greatly extended and we have been able to increase by over 250 per cent the funding to support children with special needs."
But while the Minister was clearly pleased, Senator Joe O'Toole, general secretary of the INTO, condemned the Estimates. The £11 increase in the capitation grant "is only half what the education partners were expecting and will be a source of great disappointment to schools and boards of management".
Dick Ahlstrom, Science Editor, adds:
The allocation includes £20 million under the new subhead "information and communication technologies for schools". This is in addition to the existing subhead, "schools IT 2000", which has risen by 8 per cent to £6.5 million. Both are part of a commitment to invest in computers and communications facilities for schools at primary and second level.