Bunscoil refused funding
By Eoin O'Tuama
Parents of children at Belfast's oldest Bunscoil on Shaw's Road
are outraged that the school will not receive a penny of the £33
million of education money handed out last week.
Tony Worthington, the NIO's education minister, has claimed that
other schools are in greater need, even though the Bunscoil has
been operating out of 17 wooden huts for the past 27 years. One
of the schools apparently in greater need is the St Aquinas
Grammar School on the Ravenhill Road, established only four years
ago, which received £12 million of the education money.
``How can they promise on a Friday, Good Friday, to give parity of
esteem to Irish speakers,'' said Bunscoil Phobal Feirste
Principal, Diarmuid O'Tuama, `` but on Monday revert to their old
anti-Irish language policies?''.
The school has a roll of 346 pupils and is maintained by a budget
from the Dept of Education to cover teaching and supplies.
However, the lack of permanent buildings to house the school
gives it a somewhat transient atmosphere.
``It's almost as if they hope we'll go away,'' said O'Tuama.
After a tour of the school Gerry Adams arranged a meeting between
the school and Mr Worthington for 7 May.
He also raised the issue with Tony Blair during their meeting on
Monday as well as the funding of the Irish language secondary
school in Derry.
``The British Government decision on funding must be reversed,''
said the West Belfast MP. ``The British Government has publicly
committed itself to removing the obstacles it has placed in the
way of the Irish language. It's time now that it puts its money
where its mouth is''.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)