Following Tuesday’s Budget 2025, school patron body Educate Together has called on all political parties to set out an ambitious vision for education as they prepare for the next general election.
While welcoming measures aimed at promoting equality for families, such as free schoolbooks and meals, Educate Together has expressed disappointment that the Government has fallen short of the investment required to properly resource our education system.
Tuesday’s Budget will see primary school capitation increased from €200 per pupil to €224 in September 2025. While this increase is necessary, it will only bring school funding to a level 12% higher than 2008, whereas costs have risen by multiples of that amount in that period.
Additional one-off funding announced to alleviate current pressures will be welcomed by schools, but will not close the gap between what schools need and what they will have to spend. Leaving schools without adequate funding increases inequalities between schools – while some have the capacity to fundraise, many will have to go without basic resources for their students.
Similarly, increases announced in staffing (Special Education Teachers, Special Needs Assistants and Posts of Responsibility) are welcome, but will be insufficient to enable most schools to properly meet the needs of all their students.
Speaking about the situation, Educate Together CEO Emer Nowlan said:
“It is time that we recognised the crucial importance of a properly resourced high-quality education system – not just as the right of our children and young people, but as a key element of a happy, healthy and equitable society. Our school communities have proved themselves to be resilient and resourceful, but the entire system is creaking now after years of being underfunded and undervalued. As we approach the next general election, we are calling on our politicians to present a more ambitious vision for education – one which truly supports every young person to reach their full potential.”
In the short term, a thorough analysis of actual school costs is essential, so that grant funding can be increased to adequate levels. Once the capitation rate aligns with actual expenses, it should be linked to inflation to ensure it keeps pace with rising costs in the future.
In the medium term, the long-promised Citizens Assembly on Education should be the beginning of a new vision for our education system; one which is ambitious, and properly supports all of our children and young people to reach their full academic, social and personal potential. It is time for us to reflect as a society on what kind of an education system we want for the future, and then put concrete steps in place to reach that vision.
