Budget 2027 fails to address most pressing issues facing schools, teachers
Budget 2027 fails to address the most pressing issues in education, according to the ASTI.
Teachers’ pay
ASTI General Secretary Linda Kelly said: “Teachers’ pay has fallen significantly behind inflation. Tomorrow marks day three of initial industrial action by ASTI members over pay. The measures contained in Budget 2027 will not resolve this dispute.”
Investment in education
ASTI President Richie Bell said: “An increase in the second-level student capitation grant by €40 per student is simply not enough. In terms of overall expenditure per second-level student, Ireland lags hundreds of euro behind the OECD and EU averages*.”
Class size
ASTI General Secretary Linda Kelly said: “Budget 2027 fails to address the fact that second-level class sizes are larger than they were nearly two decades ago, prior to the 2008 economic crash. This is despite the fact that classrooms today are significantly more diverse and teaching and learning have become far more complex.”
Special education
ASTI President Richie Bell said: “While there is a commitment in today’s announcement regarding the allocation of additional teachers for special education, there is no detail of what this commitment will mean for schools. What we do know is that meeting the needs of all our students with additional and special education needs requires significantly increased investment, including comprehensive training for classroom teachers and much improved access to supports and resources.”
The ASTI will respond further to Education Budget 2027 when full information becomes available.
ENDS
Issued by Gemma Tuffy, Communications Official. Tel: 01/6040172; email: [email protected]
*https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/education-at-a-glance-2026_b4968bbc-en.html
