IPPN

Published: 09 December 2008

Source : Irish Examiner

By Niall Murray, Education Correspondent
THE average, second-level school could lose up to €20,000 in grants under education cutbacks in next year's budget, the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) has warned.

Its figures are based on a survey of 114 schools in cities, towns and rural areas, which the union said are set to lose 239 teachers.

The survey showed an average of four teaching jobs will be lost at schools affected by a number of budget measures, including changes to general staffing levels, a restriction on language support teacher numbers and the withdrawal of additional posts for schools previously classed as disadvantaged.

For schools in the vocational sector, where most TUI members work, Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe has approved an increase of €14 for general running costs for every student. This amounts to €5,600 for a 400-student school but the TUI said it could lose substantially more than €20,000 in other grants and funding for programmes which is being withdrawn.

These include the €100 given to schools for every transition-year student, the funding given to schools to help poorer families with the costs of school books and reductions in funding given to schools catering for Traveller students.

It also includes a grant worth €159 for every student taking part in the Leaving Certificate Applied programme — more prevalent among students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The survey showed that the total loss to the 114 schools was just under €2 million, but a school affected by all the measures could be short an average of more than €29,000 next year.

"The 2009 budget gives more to schools serving families and communities from middle and high income groups, while robbing schools that serve low to middle-income groupings," said TUI education and research office Bernie Judge.

The Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA) yesterday called for all education partners, including unions, management bodies, parent organisations and the Department of Education to end the "megaphone diplomacy".

They asked for engagement in real discussions to find savings elsewhere that might help some of the cutbacks to be avoided.

The IVEA and other second-level management bodies reached agreement with Mr O'Keeffe on savings of €16m in the supervision and substitution scheme, which along with €2.7m from the department, will allow an easing of the restriction on substitution cover for absent teachers for the remainder of the school year.