Standing Ovation? Nah!!

Minister of Education and Science, Mrs. Mary Hanafin, DID NOT get a standing ovation from primary teachers this morning - at the I.N.T.O. Annual Congress. I heard on the radio that she did, but I was there and I assure you that she DID NOT!
Minister Mary and the Government promised - 5 years ago, before the last election, funnily enough!!! - that no child under nine years old would be taught in a class of over 24 pupils. That promise has been completely broken. We have the highest class sizes in the developed world!! We are awash with billions, but years 1 to 3 of the life of this Government, no change was made to class sizes whatsoever. The last school year got a decrease of one, next year is supposed to see another decrease of one. This means that instead of the promised class size of 24, our children are in classes of 28 (average) after over five years of this Government and 27 next year if they keep that promise!
Teachers are hopping mad over the size of classes in Irish primary schools - FOR THE CHILDRENS' SAKE. The INTO launched a huge campaign this Spring to get the Government to keep their class size promise of 24.
This morning, Minister Mary told us that she will decrease class sizes by one in 2008, one in 2009, one in 2010 - then, we will have our promised class size of 24, which was promised in 2002!!
She has been telling us and telling us , and she told us again this morning, that she prioritised special needs, and gave the teachers to help special needs and disadvantaged. She did. Why? She was going to be sued to Hell and back for the excrutiatingly inadequate provision for special ed. in our schools, that's why! She HAD to do better. Mind you, she actually gave very, very little. For example, she gave 5 hours PER WEEK to autistic children; 3 hours PER WEEK to children with Moderate Learning Disability (very low IQ)..... in other words, she gave a pittance. The bare minimum. No great shakes to be boasting about!!!
It needn't have been an either / or situation though. The money was there and IS there to do both. It's a bit of a joke to give a special needs child half an hour a day with a specialist teacher, and let them sit in an overcrowded classroom for the rest of the day!!!! These children need specialist interventions, AND every child needs a small class size. I personally think that 24 is too high. Imagine trying to teach 24 young children! Imagine trying to give them individual attention as per the Revised primary Curriculum? It simply cannot be done. It's such a shame because it's a really good, active, hands-on, child-centred, child-friendly, joyous curriculum.

Did Minister Mary really get a standing ovation for the tale she spun to us this morning?
NOT A CHANCE!
Does she really think that we will fall for that old chestnut for a second time?
I won't!