According to reports this morning a number of schools across the country will be forced closed due to a lack of much needed funding.
The news comes after a number of documents published and prepared for the Minister for Education Richard Bruton state that funding for schools, intended to cover day-to day-running costs, is now a “critical issue”.
The Department of Education officials say the latest funding shortfall will be “potentially more risky than having large class sizes.”
The worrying documents state that: “The current reduced funding levels for all schools create a risk that some schools may not be able to cover critical costs, which in turn could trigger a school closure.”
The documents also say: “A school that is unable to meet insurance or heat and light costs will be obliged to close regardless of class size.”
The current lack of funding now means that a number of schools nationwide will not receive much needed grants that cover basic day to day costs such as heating, cleaning, lighting, maintenance and the provision of teaching materials and resources.
The detailed report also states that a further €40 million a year is needed to bring the grants back to pre-crisis levels.