Education

Primary and secondary schools remain disgracefully underfunded. 81% of primary schools have to raise their own funds for basic needs like heating and teaching materials. This creates an unequal situation as schools in disadvantaged areas cannot raise this extra funding.

Sinn Fein proposes:

• priority funding of pre-schools in disadvantaged areas
• the full funding of all primary and secondary schools
• funding for Irish language schools
• a change in funding priorities so that a larger percentage of the education budget goes to primary schools
• decreases in class sizes
• introduction of a realistic maintenance subsidy for third level students
• increased grants for young people from disadvantaged areas to go on to third level