Class action on cuts
- Published: 29 October 2008
By Niall Murray, Education Correspondent
THE Government's budget headaches look certain to continue beyond Christmas as its determination to push through education cutbacks brought 12,000 angry parents, children and teachers to the gates of the Dáil last night.
They delivered a strong message that the cuts will not be taken lying down but Green party backing for the measures means little chance of another budget U-turn, which would reverse the class size increases.
Among the huge crowds that arrived from around the country, while TDs debated the cuts inside the Dáil, were hundreds of primary and second-level pupils.
They heard speakers urge the Government to withdraw the cutbacks, which will also lead to possible school closures in January because of teacher substitution being withdrawn.
Teachers' Union of Ireland president Don Ryan said Finance Minister Brian Lenihan and Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe will wipe out more than 1.3 million class periods in second-level schools, as they will have hundreds of fewer teachers.
"That's no flesh wound, it's a near mortal blow to our children's future. They have cut the legs from underneath an already creaking education system," said Mr Ryan.
Irish National Teachers' Organisation general secretary John Carr said people have had enough promises from Fianna Fáil politicians after what he called an unfair, unjust and immoral budget.
"The Green leadership is supporting Fianna Fáil in attacking vulnerable children, that is some turnaround from a party whose TDs were also elected on education promises," he said.
Áine Lynch, chief executive of the National Parents Council-Primary, said families fear the increasing shortfalls faced by schools will be passed on to parents through demands for more fundraising.
Inside the Dáil, Labour party education spokesman Ruairi Quinn described Budget 2009 as an attack on children as he proposed a motion to reverse the class size increases.
"It pushes many shy, insecure four-year-old children into classes with more than 30 others and it makes it impossible for teachers to cherish all the children equally," he said, in a clear reference to the Proclamation of Independence, in contrast to Mr Lenihan's earlier budget day call to patriotism.
A vote on a government amendment to the motion will be supported by Green Party TDs today, although they were not in the Dáil to hear Mr O'Keeffe defend the cutbacks last night.
The minister rounded on the opposition and teacher unions, who have rejected his calculation that there will be 400 teaching posts lost.
"Some statements seem to be based on a scaremongering claim that there will be an actual drop of over 1,000 teachers in the schools.
"It is a disingenuous use of 'potential' additional posts that might have been created to imply a loss five times greater than the real net impact," he said.
