Sick leave? Politician heal thyself
- Published: 01 December 2008
Source : Irish Times
TEACHING MATTERS:It's always been well known that a thick skin is a must for anyone pursuing a career in politics. Very often party politicians must take the heat for decisions they know to be wrong. Back in their constituencies, most adopt a veneer of sympathetic understanding of their constituents' point of view while blaming the party hierarchy, writes Aidan Gaughran
Occasionally a party politician will mount a robust defence of a decision made by party leaders. But in doing this, it's important to remember that there is a thin line between a courageous stand on behalf of the party and pure brass neck.
That line was spectacularly crossed recently by the Minister for Education and Science.
Attempting to dish the dirt on teachers refusing to accept the education cutbacks, Minister O'Keeffe spun a story about teachers not being in school on Mondays and Fridays. Never mind that once again he got his figures completely wrong, but am I the only one who reckons this should qualify him for the gold medal brass neck award? When was the last time Leinster House opened for business at all on a Monday or a Friday? The facts are that about half of one per cent of teachers are absent due to illness on any Monday or Friday. That's a world away from the 100 per cent of TDs who don't have to report for business at all on those days.
The contentious issue is the Minister's proposal to withdraw substitute cover from teachers on uncertified sick leave. As a result, classes will be cancelled, parents may be asked to keep children at home or children will be packed into already overcrowded classes.
As a result of the decision, classes for children with special needs, English as an additional language or Travellers will be cancelled. So much for the Budgetary commitment to protect the vulnerable. If schools decide to split up pupils into other classes to avoid impacting on parents, then the reality is that all children will be affected. Teaching and learning as planned will be put on hold in order to turn teachers into child-minders for the day.
In a very weak defence of his decision, the Minister insists that he is reverting to the pre-2002 position when uncertified sick leave was not substitutable. What he fails to realise is how much primary classrooms have changed in the interim.
Two examples will suffice to show this. Many of the children affected will be special-needs children. One group will be children on the autistic spectrum who, most of all, need consistency. Not only will they have a new teacher but a new classroom as well. Many will be unable to cope.
Other children have specific medical needs that schools now help to accommodate. Today, it is not unusual for teachers to be ready to administer emergency medication in cases of diabetes or anaphylactic shock. How much more difficult will this be if classes of children have to be split up at short notice every time a teacher is ill. There are clear health and safety issues for school management to address.
But then a Government that refuses a vaccine to young girls whose families cannot afford to provide it privately couldn't be expected to have any understanding of such matters.
Maybe if they worked on Mondays and Fridays they'd increase their understanding of how their decisions impact on ordinary citizens.
• Aidan Gaughran is a primary school teacher in Clonmel, Co Tipperary
A catholic approach to learning
- Published: 01 December 2008
Source : Irish Times
AT A RECENT history seminar in Trinity College Dublin, biographer Anthony Jordan recalled "life as it used to be" when it came to the Catholic bishops in Ireland. He remembered a talk at a 1955 conference by the then Bishop of Cork and Ross, Most Rev Cornelius Lucey. Referring to the Mother and Child scheme opposed by the Catholic bishops and which in 1951 brought down the State's first inter-party government, Lucey noted that "the church was not just one group among the many groups making up the State, but had a firmer and broader base than any of them.
Thus it was that when the bishops in this country took a stand not so long ago on the Health Bill (ie what had been the Mother and Child scheme), they were not acting as a mere pressure group: they were not exercising the democratic right they undoubtedly had as citizens to make representations directly to the Government. They intervened on the higher ground that the church is the divinely appointed guardian and interpreter of the moral law . . . In a word, their position was that they were the final arbiters of right and wrong, even in political matters. In other spheres, the State might for its own good reason ignore the advice of the experts, but in faith and morals it might not."
This unequivocal position was accompanied by a certain style which concerned at least some of the then bishops. For instance, a contemporary description of archbishop of Dublin John Charles McQuaid, described him as "a man of great energy, ability and (as far as personal contact was concerned) suavity and charm . . . the most prominent of his aims was to make the Catholic Church the unchallenged arbiter of all questions in which it could reasonably claim to have an interest . . . This attitude was not enunciated with any arrogance, or even very explicitly, but it was implemented by continuous hints, directives and pressures."
Also noted was that "McQuaid's inflexibility on paper contrasted strangely with his accommodating attitude in personal interview".
McQuaid was a Cavan man. So, too, is the chairman of the Bishops' Commission for Education, the Bishop of Kilmore, Most Rev Leo O'Reilly, as is the Catholic primate Cardinal Seán Brady. It would be fair to say that all three share the characteristic of having an "accommodating attitude in personal interview". All three also share characteristics of personal charm and all have also shown a certain inflexibility when it comes to the bottom line. But there the comparisons end.
Our latter-day Cavan-born senior churchmen would recoil from any claim that they might be among "the final arbiters of right and wrong, even in political matters." And it would be wrong to conclude that the most prominent of their aims is "to make the Catholic Church the unchallenged arbiter of all questions in which it could reasonably claim to have an interest".
An example of this would be the current Irish Catholic bishops' view on education, which was articulated by Bishop O'Reilly on October 2nd, 2007, when he launched the church's document Catholic Primary Schools - A Policy for Provision into the Future. He said the church had no desire to be the sole provider of education in individual communities in Ireland. The document stated that "in new centres of population it is incumbent upon the State to plan for the provision of school sites and to ensure . . . that there is a plurality of school provision reflecting the wishes of the parents in the area".
In practice, however, other education providers, while acknowledging the Catholic Church's recognition of the need for plurality of school provision in the new Ireland, fear that the church's insistence on Catholic instruction during the school day in new State community schools could turn such schools into de facto Catholic schools, particularly as no other denomination or faith insists on such provision. They also fear that this insistence could render the new schools economically untenable, through the requirement for extra staff.
Early last year, Bishop O'Reilly also welcomed an announcement by then minister for education Mary Hanafin of a pilot model of primary-school patronage under the VEC at Diswellstown in Dublin. It represented the first proposed direct State involvement in management at primary-school level since primary schools were first set up in Ireland, along denominational lines, in 1831.
Despite this, some in education circles would place O'Reilly in the "what we have, we hold" wing of Irish Catholic bishops, a minority of whom, it is felt, would be more genuinely pluralist when it comes to provision of schools.
Still, one major player in Irish education commented: "The Catholic Church is very lucky to have him in that role, particularly where his style [of working] is concerned. He is a very gentle character, personality-wise. From his own experience in education, he has a good understanding of the issues involved. He is very strong on Catholic education and a very good advocate at a personal level. He is clear about what would work in new developments, but his main concern was that there would be no religion taught in the new schools. On the other hand he is very willing to accept that there has to be change where old-style Catholic schools are concerned."
Another major player in Irish education has found Bishop O'Reilly "very approachable. You can pick up the phone to him any time. He is a strong character, calm, collected, calculating, not in a devious sense, but in that you feel he is weighing things up all the time. He is a reserved man, even shy, but very determined. And he is always very supportive of teachers. He is a pluralist, but also believes the Catholic religion should be taught in schools (i.e. during the school day). He is a straight-up, decent sort of bloke. You know where you stand with him."
One insider, who would have frequently been on opposite sides to O'Reilly in discussions, finds him "a very pleasant, friendly man and one of the major thinkers for the Catholic Church's agenda in education this past 10 years." But he queried whether the Bishop's insistence on Catholic instruction in State primary schools was legally sustainable, not least as no other church or faith is seeking such privileges. It was also a concern, he said, that in their October 2007 policy document the Catholic bishops reiterated the obligation on Catholic parents to send their children to the local Catholic school.
This had caused "extensive hurt" among devout Catholics who were sending their children to alternative schools. In general, though, this person had "the highest regard" for Bishop O'Reilly, who was "a very warm, intelligent man."
Bishop Leo O'Reilly was born on April 10th, 1944 and grew up on a small farm in Kill, near Cootehill - the town where archbishop McQuaid was from. His father, Terence, was an insurance agent and his mother, Maureen, was principal of the national school in Kill. His paternal grandmother, uncle and aunt were all primary school principals.
Ordained from Maynooth in 1969, where he had taken a science degree, he returned to his alma mater, St Patrick's Diocesan College in Cavan, and spent seven years there teaching maths, science and Christian doctrine.
Cardinal Brady was also a teacher at St Patrick's at the time. Bishop O'Reilly then spent five years in the Irish College in Rome, receiving a doctorate in biblical theology in 1982. Cardinal Brady was by then vice-rector at the Irish College.
After Rome, O'Reilly was appointed school chaplain in Bailieborough Community School in Cavan, where he stayed for seven years until he volunteered to go to Nigeria in 1988.
He spent two years in the Diocese of Minna, northern Nigeria, and five years on the staff of St Paul Seminary in Abuja, capital of Nigeria, where he taught scripture. In 1995 he was appointed parish priest of Ballyhaise Co Cavan, succeeding Cardinal Brady, who had been ordained Co-adjutor Archbishop of Armagh, and in February 1997 O'Reilly was installed as Coadjutor Bishop of Kilmore. He was installed as Bishop of Kilmore on November 15th 1998.
On a more personal level, and like Cardinal Seán Brady, Bishop O'Reilly is very interested in sport, particularly Gaelic football, as well as soccer, golf and walking. Despite his science background, he is a man with a deep interest in the humanities, particularly languages, and of late the classical music fan has been taking his holidays in the Donegal Gaeltacht.
Responding to diversity
"Catholic schools seek to reflect a distinctive vision of life and a corresponding philosophy of education, based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Bishops's Vision '08 document, published last May
"In an increasingly multicultural society, Catholic schools welcome pupils of other traditions, faiths and none. The schools see such diversity as offering opportunities for deeper understanding among people holding diverse convictions. Such diversity also promotes the common good of society as a whole." Bishops' Vision '08 document, published last May
"The Department of Education said it would 'consider' criticisms made yesterday by chair of the Bishops' Commission for Education Bishop Leo O'Reilly of the department's claimed policy preference for multi-denominational education." Department of Education reacts to criticisms by Bishop
© 2008 The Irish Times
O'Keeffe rebukes 'emotive, divisive' teacher unions
- Published: 30 November 2008
Source : Sunday Independent
Sunday November 30 2008
Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe has this weekend strongly defended the Budget education cuts, telling thousands of teachers and parents to get real and that he had no choice.
The minister, speaking exclusively to the Sunday Independent, said he understands their desire to protest at the cuts, but he said they are totally unrealistic to think they would remain unaffected by budget cutbacks.
He was speaking as several thousand people took to the streets of Donegal yesterday in the latest major weekend protest at the cuts which will see at least 400 teaching posts lost. Mr O'Keeffe didn't hold back while defending his position saying the short-term pain will safeguard the interests of Irish children in the long run.
"I do not want to see teachers on the streets with placards. But, it is simply not realistic that education could be completely exempted from any spending restrictions in the current economic climate. We have to be realistic about what the country can afford," he said.
He also made a savage attack on the teachers' unions accusing them of deliberately using emotive and divisive language which is creating fear and unrest among parents. "To some union leaders, who claim to represent teachers' interests, I say this: I am asking you to refrain from scaremongering and from using emotive language that seeks to divide rather than unite us in our common objective of returning Ireland to economic prosperity."
Despite the very cold conditions, teachers, parents and students marched on Donegal town yesterday, in the fourth protest of its kind since budget day. Next Saturday, a national protest is to be held in Dublin and early indications suggest that more than 30,000 people may attend.
"The education cutbacks announced in the Budget are the most drastic for 20 years. They will damage the education service at every level. Parents, teachers and managerial groups have united in opposition to the cutbacks and will be jointly organising this march and demonstration," the unions have said.
Responding to yesterday's march, Mr O'Keeffe said protests are not the answer and called on the unions to engage with him to achieve progress. "I understand they are disappointed by some of these decisions, but we must act collectively to secure Ireland's prosperity."
The Government is also unhappy that principals and teachers are using school facilities to organise their campaigns. The Sunday Independent has received letters sent to parents from schools all over the country informing them about the protest next week. Many of the schools have also taken to asking parents for extra money, €500 per child in some instances, to meet their financial shortfalls.
At least one northside Dublin school has taken to naming and shaming parents who do not contribute to a fund to replace an existing prefab building with a permanent structure.
Mr O'Keeffe has also been called "clueless" by his Fine Gael opposite number Brian Hayes, over his refusal to increase the third level maintenance grant or the income thresholds for next year, which he said will mean fewer poorer students going to college.
Mr Hayes said: "The Minister for Education is clueless when it comes to encouraging students from poorer backgrounds to go and stay in college. The impact of not increasing maintenance payments and refusing to increase income thresholds next year, means that fewer students will be able to go to college."
- Chief Reporter
Vital that we place integrity back at heart of public service
- Published: 29 November 2008
Source : Irish Times
Our public service needs much reform, driven by a coherent vision and leadership, writes Breda O'Brien .
THE MOST depressing aspect of the whole sorry Fás saga is the damage it does to the many dedicated public servants who would never dream of committing the kind of abuses filling recent news reports.
The public service has been under sustained attack for the last few months from commentators who act as if it were a parasitic infestation rather than a vital part of any functioning democracy.
The arrogant sense of entitlement displayed by Rody Molloy has allowed these critics to crow even louder. Given that Fás is meant to be serving some of the most disadvantaged, it was little short of nauseating.
While the sense of entitlement on display was an egregious example, was it encouraged by the culture of political strokes over decades? Was it coincidence that Rody Molloy's attitude was reminiscent of P Flynn and his complaints about running three houses and co-ordinating three housekeepers? Why did Paddy Duffy turn up smiling in Florida? There have been innumerable other political strokes that encouraged a kind of nod-and-wink culture.
To give one example, Charlie McCreevy decreed that TDs and senators could claim an untaxed mileage allowance if they live more than 15 miles from Leinster House. Even if they take a bus or cycle, they still can legitimately claim mileage of €1.26 a mile.
Forget the blow-dry in Cocoa Beach. In 2007, 55 TDs and eight Senators were paid expenses in excess of €60,000. No one would begrudge legitimate claims. But startling disparities in the level of claims between constituency colleagues lead to cynicism.
It is too easy to focus attention on individuals and incidents. We need to address the causes of the malaise, which lie in a lack of leadership. Perhaps the greatest political failure is the failure to provide a vision of the kind of society we aspire to be, one where rights are balanced with the common good, and integrity and service are rewarded, not derided.
Our public service needs much reform, but we will go from bad to worse if reform is driven by a mish-mash of neo-liberal market values rather than a coherent vision of public service.
Morale in many sectors of the public service is at an all-time low. Decentralisation has meant the loss of irreplaceable expertise. Accountability has become a mantra. Sadly, the kind of accountability now being practised often merely involves endless paperwork, which does not increase service or efficiency.
Instead, it is a massive exercise designed to ensure there will be a scapegoat when things go wrong. Senior people are constantly micromanaging instead of devolving responsibility. Power is constantly being pulled to the centre. Able people end up frustrated and bitter.
At its best, public service is a privilege, because it is an opportunity to do work that has a positive impact. From the earliest years of the State to the 1980s, the brightest and the best were attracted to public service, because of the sense that they were helping to shape the future of a fledgling country. Sadly, that sense of a shared mission has all but disappeared. It is a huge loss.
In 2006, Henry Mintzberg, Cleghorn professor of management studies at McGill University, Montreal, wrote an article as if he were commenting from the future. It begins, "Looking back on the great depression that began in 2008 . . ." With great prescience, he pinpoints the key causes of the global meltdown, including the obsession with maximising profits for shareholders, and rewarding senior managers for making decisions that focused on "results today, not sustenance tomorrow".
The fact he was able to predict this collapse two years ago surely gives him some credibility when he writes about other issues. In an earlier article, Managing Government, Governing Management , in the Harvard Business Review , he cautions against blind acceptance of the mantra that government works best the more it mimics business.
As a result of this bias, "the private sector has become good, the public sector bad, and the co-operatively and non-owned (non-profit) sectors have become irrelevant". In short, our society has lost a vital level of balance.
In Ireland we have become convinced the only direction that learning must flow is from private to public. In many ways, though, the job of the public service is far more complex. The business model operates primarily on relationships based on the customer or client model.
Mintzberg suggests the public service must take into account human beings as citizens and subjects. Citizens have rights, and there are many complex tensions between competing rights.
The word "subject" is perhaps an unfortunate choice for those of us reared in a republic, but he merely means the responsibilities such as paying taxes that are the flip-side of rights. The business model is inadequate when dealing with complexities of conflicting citizen rights, multiple stakeholders or political pressure.
He cautions against performance-driven management, and suggests we need management guided by "accepted principles, rather than by imposed plans, by visions rather than by targets". In this model, members share responsibility. They feel trusted and supported by leaders. Performance is judged not by arbitrary benchmarks, but by experienced people, including recipients of the service.
The possibility of real movement between sectors in the public service is one of the proposed reforms. Imagine if some of the best school principals in the country were seconded to the Department of Education. Imagine the reality-based, service-driven ideas that would result. Instead, everything is driven by the Department of Finance. Imagine reform that was driven by the idea of putting service back at the heart of public service, instead of a short-sighted cost-cutting agenda.
This economic crisis is very serious, but it is an opportunity to begin focusing on more sustainable and humane ways of living. But we need leadership.
We never needed it more.
Taoiseach to be quizzed by FF councillors over budget cuts
- Published: 29 November 2008
Source : Drogheda Independent
Brian Cowen is expected to face tough questions on last month's controversial budget.
Around 200 Fianna Fail county councillors from around the country are in the Tullamore Court Hotel today for the National Councillors' Forum Annual Conference.
The Taoiseach will face tough questioning from the councillors in the wake of the controversial budget last month.
The Tanaiste and Enterprise Minister Mary Coughlan will speak at the event, along with the Transport Minister Noel Dempsey, the Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe and the Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith.
All of the Ministers will take part in a questions and answers session on their various roles in the budget.
