IPPN

Published: 16 April 2009

Source: Donegal Democrat

By Staff reporter
Teachers who had neither hand, act or part in the country's economic collapse "bitterly resent have their pockets picked" to bail out bankers, speculators and developers, INTO General Secretary John Carr told the Minister for Education at this week's congress in Letterkenny.
Shortly after Minister Batt O'Keefe had met a hostile reaction to his own comments with a number of delegates walking out just as he began to speak, the Donegal born union official recited a litany of failures on the Government's part in terms of eduADVERTISEMENTcational cutbacks.

"I want you to be in no doubt when you leave here today about the depth of anger among teachers, the sense of outrage in schools and the feeling of betrayal in communities up and down this country about the government's handling of the economic crisis and the way your government has failed to protect primary schools in all parts of the country," blasted Mr. Carr.

In his address, the Minister said he respected the sincerity and conviction behind what had been stated at the conference and insisted there was no disagreement between them on the need for spending on education or for limiting as best they could the impact of cutbacks.

"Some people are understandably angry about some of the decisions we've had to make. Being in Government is definitely not about being popular," he maintained.

Even though education was one of the few Departments where expenditure was increasing this year, Minister O'Keefe admitted that some of the decisions they had taken had caused "real challenges" for teachers and principals. "I'm not underestimating these challenges. But I'm asking for your cooperation during these difficult times."

His remarks drew immediate wrath from other speakers and from the body of the congress with placards being held up highlighting elements of the cutbacks.

"Teachers who had neither hand, act nor part in the country's economic collapse bitterly resent having their pockets picked to bail out bankers, speculators and developers. As educationalists, we totally oppose your government forcing the children we teach to pay for the recklessness and greed of Ireland's casino capitalists by way of fewer resources and lower investment," the INTO General Secretary reacted.

Job Losses

Job losses, class sizes, inequality, library grants and other issues formed the basis of Mr. Carr's address with criticism too of the prefabricated classrooms.

Describing them as unacceptable, the official declared: "Prefabs are economically nonsensical and educationally indefensible. Phase out their use completely. No child should be sentenced to eight years of primary education in a prefab," the General Secretary demanded.

Mr. Carr went on: "We have, as a nation, to do more for our children. We need more real supports for vulnerable children, families and primary schools. Every child, irrespective of the circumstances into which they are born, has the right to achieve their potential. Primary education is their future - it is Ireland's future."

Among the local fraternal delegates who attended the congress were His Lordship, Most Rev. Philip Boyce, Bishop of Raphoe; Rev