Campaigns

 

Pupil Teacher Ratio Campaign

DGS Parent Teacher Association
email: [email protected]

February 2016

Dear Parent/Guardian

We are contacting you as parents of Dundalk Grammar School.

In recent years, the Government has incrementally increased the pupil teacher ratio to 23:1 for fee-charging schools.  This in turn has increased the financial pressure on schools which has hit our communities particularly hard.  

In the last budget the pupil-teacher ratio was reduced for all schools except Dundalk Grammar School and other fee-charging schools.  We now want to see a reduction in the ratio for our school.  You can play a very important role in advance of the up-coming General Election.

Attached is a letter which we would encourage you to send to your local public representatives and constituency candidates. This letter seeks a commitment from the representative to a reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio. You can of course edit this letter to personalise it appropriately. You can send the letter via email or post. In addition, you can address the issue when you are inevitably canvassed at your door step. You can even make the arguments when you see candidates canvassing in public places. 

The fact is that parents make significant sacrifices to send their children to a school of their ethos and choice. The Government has a duty to treat every child in the State equally and we believe that our children are entitled to, at least, the same teacher allocation as every other child in this country. As it stands, children attending fee-paying schools cost the citizens of Ireland less to educate than those enrolled in fully State funded schools. In fact, at present, the State’s only financial obligation to fee-paying secondary schools is that of paying the salaries of some of our teachers. 

Your active assistance in the achievement of this objective would be greatly appreciated.

Yours sincerely,

Ms Julie Carr
Member of DGS Board of Management and Compass National Executive (National Parent Body for Minority Schools)
 
Ms Claire Cox
Chairperson of DGS Parent Teacher Association
Mr Philip Keegan
Member of DGS Board of Management
 

Contact details re serving TDs are available here: http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/

Sample Letter on Pupil Teacher Ratio

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