by Alan Jacques
FINANCE Minister Michael Noonan’s recent announcement that he wants to give every school child in the country an iPad has been deemed “a classic example of pre-budget spin and electioneering at its worst”.
Social Democrats candidate for Limerick, Sarah Jane Hennelly says that people are staggered that our government can be so out of touch.
“Minister Noonan’s reason for iPads in classrooms is he wants to make kids more tech savvy, despite the fact that an OECD education survey concluded that the belief that ipads in schools improve IT skills is contentious at best,”
The 27-year-old Castletroy woman says it’s “shocking” that a policy like this is being suggested at a time when so many other critical issues are at stake.
“One in eight children in Ireland live in consistent poverty, while two out of five experience depravation. In Limerick City, we have high levels of educational inequality.
“More than 90 per cent of children in some areas of Limerick City make it to third level and less than 10 per cent in other areas. This is a national scandal and something which a few iPads won’t fix,” she declared.
She also insists that the associated costs of education, for books, uniforms and registration, are far too high too. These issues, along with over-crowded classrooms and the existence of religious patronage, which discriminates against certain children, are the issues that need to be addressed in the next budget.
“There has been a stark increase in the amount of children coming to school hungry. This policy put forward by Minister Noonan is silly and tokenistic. Parents know what their children need and they know what they want from the next budget is not a few iPads.
“What they want is substantive investment in our education system to guarantee that every child, no matter their background or class, is able to access the highest quality education and fulfill their potential”, she concluded.
