IPPN

Published: 18 October 2008

Irish Times

Opinion: Education should have been a top Budget priority, as it is a prime route out of poverty, writes Breda O'Brien

AS SOME readers may know, this columnist has spent nearly 20 years of her life teaching young people.

Teachers are well used to the fact that Irish education languishes at the bottom of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development funding tables. Many of them around the country have forgotten what it is like to work in anything other than a leaky prefab. Our expectations from budgets are not high and, knowing the world economy is facing chaos did not raise hopes.

Yet the Budget still shocked us. Despite years of promising to cut class numbers, they are to be raised. The last time this happened was in 1987. We have some of the biggest class sizes in Europe. What was the Minister thinking?

Before the last election, the Irish National Teachers Organisation hosted meetings where irate parents turned out in droves to demand that the Government take action.

There are nearly 100,000 primary children in classrooms of more than 30 pupils. The programme for government promised to reduce pupil-teacher ratios to 24 to one by 2010/2011, but the pupil teacher ratio is to rise by one point at both primary and second level. To add insult to injury, Batt O'Keeffe declared that it would have no impact in classrooms.

In reality, it mostly hurts the children who are struggling, whether it be with recognised learning difficulties or because they are too shy to say they are falling behind. At second level it will limit subject choices and increase class sizes in core subjects like English and maths.

The Government did not stop there. Parents of thousands of second-level pupils who travel by school bus face a hike in fees from €168 for junior cycle pupils and €234 for senior cycle pupils to a flat fee of €300 for both.

Some of the cuts target the most disadvantaged, such as the cut in the capitation grant for Travellers. Some are mean, like cutting the allocation for school book schemes and reducing grants for the Leaving Cert Applied. The Budget caps English language support teachers at two to a school, no matter how many pupils are in need. It also dispenses with teaching posts in disadvantaged schools that did not meet the flawed criteria for inclusion in the new scheme.

Many of the Budget's measures smack of desperate attempts to save money, with little thought as to their impact. Many readers will have fond memories of trips outside the classroom, remembering them long after classes have faded from memory.

One of the measures in the Budget was that substitution would no longer be provided for a teacher who wishes to provide educational experiences outside class. Some of the newer second- level courses demand fieldwork, but no cover will be provided for a teacher attempting to provide this.

If a teacher is too sick to come to school for a day or two, no cover will be given unless a doctor's cert is provided.

Teachers' unions and principals' representative bodies have been fielding calls from alarmed principals who realise this is unworkable. It will hit hard at primary level, where classes will have to be split among colleagues.

Given that classes will be bigger, having five or six extra children will be even more difficult. This move will result in more sick teachers struggling into school, meaning poorer teaching and prolonged illnesses. No one wins.

The Minister appears to have forgotten his history. One agreement hammered out after the bitter industrial action by the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland was on supervision and substitution, concerning supervising pupils at non-class times and providing substitute cover for sick teachers or those absent on school business. The Minister says this scheme won't be touched. Good.

Lest he come under pressure to reverse his view, he should remember that substitution is a sensitive area for teachers.

It is dispiriting to see nearly a 30 per cent cut in the allocation to information and communication technology (ICT) activities.

In a final blow to teachers, those hoping to take early retirement have discovered the scheme is being discontinued. Forcing people with credible reasons to leave teaching to remain is counter-productive.

Some credit should be given for progress in certain areas. For example, the allocation for non- teaching staff such as special needs assistants, caretakers and clerical staff has been increased by 13 per cent at primary level and at second level by 17 per cent.

There is a much-needed rise in the allocation to the National Educational Psychological Services. It is good to see that investment in school buildings is to continue.

It is hard to see where cuts could be made that would hurt no one in education. However, health and education should be top priorities in any budget. Of all areas to cut, education is one of the most foolish, as it represents a way out of poverty for so many.

People are asking, where did all the cash go? Why did we not invest more when we had it? We had a chance to invest in education and we failed. The consequences of that failure will be seen for decades.