A recent INTO survey of 44 primary schools in south Co Dublin showed an average class size of more than 30 pupils in one of the country's most prosperous areas.
Mr Peter Mullan told the congress that 21 per cent of pupils were in classes of 35 or more, and more than half in classes of 32 or more. "These figures show how meaningless is continuous reference to a national pupil-teacher ratio of 23:1," he said.
He warned that large class sizes had been one factor in restricting the full implementation of a new primary curriculum in 1971, and this could happen again.
The INTO vice-president, Mr Brian Hynes from Galway, said a survey last year showed that the capitation grant was "at best only able to meet the cost of heating, cleaning, lighting, insuring and maintaining school buildings". Without parental fund-raising "there would be little by way of equipment or school materials in our classrooms."
Mr Garry Stack from Ennis said that last Saturday not one but two local primary schools were collecting for basic equipment and facilities in their schools, and this was in the Information Age Town. Pointing to the 1997 INTO survey finding that 87 per cent of primary schools had no staff toilets, he said that while the Minister for Education had "dreams about PCs, we have to worry about WCs".
Ms Joan Ward from Dublin recounted the experience of a teacher who said they could not use their new computers when the weather was bad. This was because the rain would drip down the inside walls of the inadequate building where they were housed, making it dangerous to plug them in.
Ms Mary Kyne, principal of a one-teacher school near Oughterard, Co Galway, said she taught eight age groups Irish, English, history, geography, music, drama, PE, environmental and health studies, the Stay Safe programme and soon RSE, "all on my own".