MORE than 70 per cent of second level schools depend on parental contributions to maintain essential services, almost 20 per cent more than in 1990. About 50 per cent of secondary schools also depend on prefabricated buildings for classes, a 10 per cent increase on six years ago.
The figures are part of the results of a survey conducted by the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland and presented to the union's annual education conference in Dublin on Saturday.
The survey also found that 65 per cent of classes had 30 or more pupils, that a quarter of all secondary schools were without a library and that almost 90 per cent had no nursing or care staff available to pupils.
In the area of equal opportunities, 69 per cent of girls' schools had difficulty in providing a full range of vocational and technical subjects. "Clearly there is a long way to go before education for all becomes a reality," said ASTI president Mr John Mulcahy.
He said ASTI was committed to equal access to quality education for all, but the union had to undertake a major campaign to secure an adequate level of funding for the second level sector.
The conference saw the official presentation of ASTI's Charter for Second Level Education, which emphasises the need for properly funded high quality education, with equal access for all and proper consultation between all the education partners on second level policy.
Prof Aine Hyland, professor of education at University College, Cork, told the conference that educational inequality resulting from social and economic disadvantage remained a problem at second level.