Marchers protest against school losing special status

An estimated 1,000 people marched from a school to a Department of Education office in Waterford city centre yesterday to prevent the Government from removing the school's disadvantaged status.

Teachers, parents and pupils attached to the De La Salle St Stephen's national school braved heavy showers to highlight the situation, which they said would result in two teachers being removed from the 415-strong primary school this summer. The school says it will also lose vital grant-aid as a result of the move.

The protest left the school shortly before 3pm yesterday and made its way to the department's office in the Johnstown Industrial Estate where a petition was handed in by school principal, Brother Martin of the De La Salle order.

Criticising the Department of Education, Brother Martin said: "This will have an awful effect on our school. This will lead to split classes.

"Split classes are going to be almost impossible, as they are around the 30-mark at present. It's something I hate to think of at this stage."

The school was notified earlier this month that it would not be included in the new school support programme. An action plan for educational inclusion was launched by Minister for Education Mary Hanafin in May 2005. The plan, Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, provides funding for 640 disadvantaged schools nationally, with an allocation for 320 urban and 320 rural schools.

A letter was issued to approximately 2,500 primary schools that did not qualify for the programme. The letter seen by The Irish Times states: "Schools which have not qualified for the new school support programme and which are receiving additional resources, both human and financial, under pre-existing schemes and programmes for addressing concentrated disadvantage, will retain these supports for 2006/2007."

However, a department spokeswoman could not confirm the position regarding funding for 2008. "The efficacy of these supports will be kept under review," said the spokeswoman.

Brother Martin said his order had donated €18,500 of its own funding, while the Waterford Area Partnership had contributed €12,000 for the provision of a part-time teacher in English and Maths. The school has until tomorrow to submit an appeal.