Are all small schools necessary?

Dear sir - I am writing to you regarding the letter entitled 'Save our small schools enlists support' which appeared in your last publication and was signed entirely by teachers. It amazes me that when the Government were making their cruelest cuts to Special Needs services, no such letter appeared from any group of teachers in Meath. I wonder are your tax paying readers aware that as well as their normal teaching salaries, the allowances (according to the Department of Education website) for principals range from €9,310 to €29,776 and for vice principals range from €3,769 to €18,966. Looking at the schools that made up the signees, those with the lowest number of pupils were Ughtyneil NS with 25 pupils (4.9 kms from Moynalty, which has a primary school and within whose parish it resides) and Coolronan NS with 39 pupils ( 5.13kms from Ballivor which has a primary school and within whose parish it resides). Would any taxpayer believe, that a school whose numbers amounts to the size of a classroom, warrant the salaries paid to a principal and vice principal, especially when it is only a two teacher school? These Rural schools were built at a time when roads, as well as transport were practically non-existent . This, as we all know, is no longer the case. The children who attend these schools will ultimately move on to post primary schools, usually in the larger towns of their parish. As for the GAA, the children are affiliated to clubs by definition of where they live not by where they attend school. So, what exactly are the public been asked to support, teachers jobs and schools which are costing the taxpayer money? It is time, everyone takes their share of the burden to get this country back on its feet and this is one such situation. These schools are simply not economically viable anymore. Yours, Kay Dea, Navan.