They braved freezing rain in their thousands, and all 'for the children'
- Published: 30 October 2008
Source : Irish Independent
Thursday October 30 2008
THEIR simmering anger to keep them warm, thousands of teachers, parents and children last night braved plummeting temperatures and sheeting rain to vent their fury at the Government's proposed cuts to the education budget.
We were told afterwards that about 7,000 had packed into Molesworth Street in Dublin. But with most huddled together to ward off the elements, it seems likely there were more, all cheering loudly as speaker after speaker took to the makeshift stand before passionately outlining the bleak immediate future for schooling as things stand.
And if you think it all sailed over the young heads in the crowd, you would be mistaken.
"It means in my school that there will be cuts in teachers and in special needs teachers, and my brother needs a special needs teacher," Eoin O'Connell (10) said, explaining succinctly his reason for travelling from Ratoath, in Meath. "He's only five, and needs his teacher."
The argument, of course, is that this eloquent youngster is in the minority, and that children -- unlike the thousands of pensioners or students that took to the streets of the capital last week -- don't generally have a voice that is heard by government. And that is why concerned adults took up the slack by travelling yesterday, from Kerry and Donegal, from Mayo and Waterford, despite the rain, wind and even snow, to stand in the shadow of Leinster House and to display their anger at many of those sheltering within it.
Within it, and in the warmth, they were about to begin the divisive Dail debate on the proposed cutbacks. Outside in the cold, many were close to boiling point.
"We're so angry at the way they've targeted children and don't think for a moment that they are targeting teachers," Claire Tallant, herself a primary school teacher, said.
"We're here today for the children, not for ourselves or our jobs or more money.
"And to hear him talking about how big classes didn't stop today's adults bringing through the Celtic Tiger makes my blood boil -- that was a totally different curriculum."
The 'him' in question is Batt O'Keeffe, the Education Minister and the man who is not for turning.
Privately, many in the crowd admitted they are not overly confident that the Government will row back this time, following the damaging medical card u-turn last week. But they at least have a good recent memory to draw inspiration from. And they warned that they have good memories.
Voted
"I was here last week for my medical card," Christopher Mullins, a pensioner from Dundrum, confirmed. "I'm here today for my grandkids. They deserve more than this. I voted Fianna Fail all my life but those days are over."
It will be a long way back for Batt and Biffo.
He was targeted through the placards last night as Halloween bats vied for space with educational putdowns -- 'Hey Batt, leave those kids alone' -- but Mr O'Keeffe wisely remained in his bunker as the buses started pulling from 5pm and the trickle of people slowly became a flood. The organisers claimed that up to 15,000 were there at its peak, while the gardai estimated it at closer to 7,000. Either way, by 6.35pm children were looking to their parents to shoulder some more responsibility -- their weight.
Again and again, we were told that it was all about the children.
"There's a real feeling of frustration in the staffroom as to how this will play out," Brenda Ui Chathasaigh, a teacher from Dingle, in Kerry, explained. Kerry, you might have heard, likes its Gaelic football.
"It means that teachers will be back to a stage of begging others to take classes while they bring lads for a game or whatever, and eventually they'll just stop asking. It's things like football, things like art and music that will be lost to the kids."
As the speakers began, the rain started to fall again. Labour leader Eamon Gilmore was cheered on to the platform like a minor rock star.
He spoke well, but it was a hoarse John Carr of the INTO who stole the show, declaring the stinging cutbacks to be "an act of educational sabotage" and a "full-frontal attack" against children.
The crowd, swelled further by the arrival of hundreds of teaching students from St Pat's in Drumcondra lapped it up.
