Bill for substitution and supervision has 'rocketed'
- Published: 29 October 2008
Source : Irish Independent
By John Walshe
Wednesday October 29 2008
The cost of supervision and substitution in schools has rocketed in recent years.
At primary level it jumped from €26.3m in 2003, to an estimated €84.4m this year.
At post primary level the cost went up from €52m in 2006, to an estimated €66.9m for secondary, community and comprehensive schools this year. Figures are not available for the vocational sector.
The figures were given in a Dail reply to Fine Gael's Brian Hayes by Minister Batt O'Keeffe who spelled out the reasons for the increases. They included improvements in rates of pay and conditions for substitute teachers, an increase in the number of teachers employed and the extension of absences covered by substitution.
In the 2007/2008 school year, a total of 362,923 days substitute cover for teachers at primary level were provided. 28.9pc of these days related to certified sick leave and 11pc related to uncertified sick leave.
In the same school year, 245,399 days substitute cover for teachers at secondary and community/comprehensive schools were provided. 25.2pc of these days related to certified sick leave and 11.3pc related to uncertified sick leave.
Uncertified sick leave will not be covered from January and neither will absences due to official school business. A spokesman for the Minister said he was looking for the co-operation of the education partners in implementing the decisions.
The Minister said that given the overwhelming need to stabilise the public finances, it had been necessary for savings to be made now in the long term interests of children and of the country.
- John Walshe
Education cuts mean 'average family must find €2,000'
- Published: 29 October 2008
Source : Irish Independent
Wednesday October 29 2008
So-called free education will cost parents a lot more next year, new figures reveal.
The Teachers Union of Ireland, which compiled the figures, said the true burden of the education cuts was beginning to hit home as school management, teachers and parents examine the real impact on students and day-to-day school life.
Union General Secretary Peter MacMenamin said: "Effectively, families will be paying thousands extra for the education of their children as a result of these cuts. They will have a negative impact on the quality of our teaching and learning, and the life chances of the future generation."
The union gave an example of a family with two children in third-level and two in post-primary which is likely to bear an additional cost of around €1,998 next year because of increases in registration charges at third-level, school transport rises at second-level and the ending of various grants such as the books scheme for schools.
"A lone parent with three children, one in third-level and two in post-primary will have to find at least an additional €1,438 from an already stretched income. So much for 'free education', a phenomenon Ireland often brags about but which has little meaning at the moment," Mr MacMenamin added.
"To make matters worse, they are paying extra for a system that has been brutally asset-stripped."
The Children's Rights Alliance, a coalition of over 80 organisations working to secure the rights of children living in Ireland, backed the campaign to overturn education cuts.
It said that the 32 cuts were contrary to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and in breach of the Government's Towards 2016 commitments.
Jillian van Turnhout, chief executive of the alliance, said "read the small print in Budget 2009 and you will see that the Budget is about cutting children out of a future.
"Cuts to education will not save us from this financial crisis -- it will merely store-up more trouble for tomorrow's children. Investment in . . . education is about cultivating children -- our most important natural resource -- and ensuring that they don't, in the words of Barack Obama, 'begin the race of life behind the starting line'."
Meanwhile, Conradh na Gaeilge has warned that course fees for summer college in Gaeltacht areas will increase as a result of the decision to axe a teaching grant to the colleges.
Inequality
About 25,000 teenagers attend summer college in the Gaeltacht in Ireland every year, and more marks are going for the Irish oral in State examinations from 2012 onwards.
Conradh President Padraig Mac Fhearghusa said: "This means that students whose parents have the means to pay for a summer course in the Gaeltacht will have the advantage over students whose parents can't afford it, and the cutback will only exacerbate this inequality."
- John Walshe
Schools may have to close in January -- teachers
- Published: 29 October 2008
Source : Irish Independent
By John Walshe Education Editor
Wednesday October 29 2008
Primary school bosses warned for the first time yesterday that they face school closures in January because of budget cuts.
The warning was issued at a news conference attended by 10 organisations representing parents, teachers and managers.
They called for massive support for tonight's demonstration outside Leinster House while the INTO announced a series of rallies around the country starting on Saturday November 8, in Galway.
Eileen Flynn, General Secretary of the Catholic Primary School Management Association, said the proposed cuts affected every child in every class.
"How can management deliver on its statutory function under the Education Act in a safe environment in the face of such a lack of understanding of the impact of the education cuts on all concerned?" she asked.
Ms Flynn agreed that failure to meet their statutory obligations left schools open to being sued by parents if their children were deprived of their full educational entitlements.
Fears were expressed over the impact of the ending of paid substitution 'cover' for teachers on uncertified sick leave or on official school business. Sean Cottrell, Director of the Irish Primary Principals Network, said principals had a duty of care to the pupils and would not send them home without notification.
But if it became obvious that schools would continue for a few days without 'cover' then principals would have to give 24 hours notice about exceptional school closures under rule 60 of the Rules for National Schools. This was normally used for exceptional situations such as no heating or heavy snowfalls.
Mr Cottrell was scathing of the overall effects of the cuts saying that "if a colonial Government imposed this budget on us, we would describe it as an act of national sabotage by means of deliberately undermining our education system".
Philip Mudge, Vice-Chair of the National Parents Council -- Primary, said: "If the proposed budget cuts are brought in, it will be the most vulnerable children in the most marginalised communities who will suffer most."
INTO president Declan Kelleher said that teachers acting together with their Boards of Management cannot be asked to place children in unsafe situations in unsuitable conditions with class size ratios which will mean that the teacher cannot supervise them, not to talk of educating them.
Demonstrations
He announced a series of demonstrations starting in Galway, followed by protests in Tullamore, Cork and Donegal and culminating in a national march and rally in Dublin on December 6.
But Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe is insisting that the number of teaching posts lost because of budget cutbacks will be no more than 400. Mr O'Keeffe said overall teacher numbers will be reduced by 200 at both primary and secondary levels, which he said will bring class levels to what they were last year.
Teaching unions claim more than 1,000 teaching posts will be cut as a result of the budget measures. Speaking in UCC yesterday morning, Mr O'Keeffe said the cuts were unavoidable due to the current state of the public finances.
As the Minister spoke to media outside the Glucksman Gallery yesterday, he was heckled by students with a megaphone protesting over the proposed reintroduction of college fees.
- John Walshe Education Editor
Lesson one: It's a good time to teach
- Published: 29 October 2008
Source : Irish Independent
Wednesday October 29 2008
Young people are flooding back into the teaching profession as our economic woes deepen. But their futures are under a cloud as a result of the Budget.
Competition for places on primary teaching courses sharpened this year, and the number of points at the Leaving Cert required to get into training colleges increased across the board.
Less than a decade ago, at the height of the Celtic Tiger boom, morale in the profession was at an all-time low.
Poor discipline in classrooms, perceived low pay and the more lucrative opportunities elsewhere made teaching unattractive to many young people. At their union conferences, teachers were inclined to moan about the diminishing status of the profession.
Until the Budget cuts hit a fortnight ago, things seemed to be looking up.
With property barons and bankers on the ropes and secure jobs in the private sector thin on the ground, students turned to one of the few sectors of the economy that seemed to be growing.
Opportunity
With a potential salary of over €70,000 a year, incomparable holidays, rock-solid security, and a guaranteed pension, it was hardly surprising that teaching was again becoming fashionable.
But then the Budget bombshell struck.
Eamonn Maguire trains student for interviews for post-graduate primary teaching courses. He says: "I had people from all walks of life who wanted to go into teaching. They included investment bankers, an assistant bank manager, accountants and a well-known journalist.''
Through his training operation, Croi na Gaeilge, Eamonn Maguire coaches aspiring teachers in how to handle the college interview in Irish and English.
"Many of these people were leaving highly paid jobs to pursue a career in teaching. In many cases they may have harboured a desire to teach for a long time. They saw an opportunity to get into the profession.
"Ten years ago young people who wanted to be teachers were thin on the ground, but that has changed dramatically.
"In the present environment teaching seems like a reliable job. It may be hard to believe, but there is a perception that it is less stressful than other occupations.''
Primary teaching is seen as particularly attractive to parents, because of the short hours and the long holidays. Primary teachers are required to work just 183 days every year, and most are finished by 2.30pm each day.
Until the Budget, demand for primary teachers seemed to be growing, because of the projected growth in the number of school-going children in the country.
Skills
According to the INTO, the number of school pupils is expected to grow by between 50,000 and 100,000 by 2013.
While the school-going population may be growing, the job prospects of aspiring teachers have been damaged by the Budget with predictions of over 1,000 job losses.
The tightening job situation in the general economy also means that more applicants will be applying for jobs.
Anecdotal evidence from internet discussion forums on sites such as educationposts.ie indicated that second-level teachers, in particular, were already finding it hard to find work, even before the Budget.
Although teaching is now a female-dominated profession, Eamonn Maguire noticed a renewed interest in teaching among men over the past few months.
"I believe a lot of these new teachers, who have experience of other jobs, will be welcome in the profession. Their skills in fields such as business will be useful in schools.''
Growing insecurity in other middle-class professions may have been a factor in the pre-Budget surge in popularity of teaching.
But students who regard it as an easy option may be in for a rude awakening.
"It may be a rewarding occupation,'' said a spokesman for the INTO.
"But the training is demanding. Anybody who goes into it thinking it will be easy is likely to be put off by the rigorous probation period and the Department of Education inspections.''
The total number of applications to the CAO this year rose by 3.4pc to 68,112, but demand for teaching jumped by more than twice that rate, with first preferences up by 8.3pc to 5,473.
School-leavers were clearly influenced by the growth of primary pupil numbers.
The surge in demand contributed to pushing the points up to 475 at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick and to 470 at St Patrick's College, Drumcondra.
Elsewhere, the points cut-off for main intake teacher training courses were: Colaiste Mhuire, Marino, 465, Froebel College, 460, and Church of Ireland College, 410, with an interview.
The figures show that teaching continues to attract high-calibre students.
After the Budget, these aspiring teachers must be wondering whether there will be any jobs for them when they are qualified.
Chalking up a good salary
The salary of teachers in Irish schools varies according to their qualifications, years of service, and responsibilities.
> An experienced teacher with 20 years in the profession at primary or second level can expect to earn over €70,000 per year.
> At the top of the scale, some principals earn over €100,000.
> Primary teachers start their careers on a salary of just under €40,000, with second level teachers starting on slightly more than that.
Why I want to be a teacher
Paula Finn has had an ambition to become a primary teacher ever since she started a degree in music and geography in university.
Paula (23), from Mitchelstown, Co Cork, is doing an online post-graduate course in education at Hibernia college.
"I am attracted to teaching because I feel that it is a rewarding career," says Paula, who has already worked as a substitute teacher.
"It is an interesting job, because there is a lot of variety and every day is different," she adds.
Before the Budget, Paula was hopeful that there would be a lot of jobs in primary schools in teaching.
Since then, there have been dire predictions of up to 1,000 job losses in the profession.
"I know that there is going to be a lot of competition for places," says the UCC arts graduate. "As well as the students training to be teachers, there are a lot of Irish people training to be teachers at colleges in Britain.
"When I qualify, I won't just be able to walk into a job."
Rally Against Education Cuts - 6.30pm Outside Dáil Éireann
- Published: 29 October 2008
Source : INTO
Rally Against Education Cuts - 6.30pm Outside Dáil Éireann
Parents, management bodies and teachers will gather tonight in a rally against the proposed cuts in education announced in Budget 2009. All those attending are asked to gather at 6.30pm outside Dáil Éireann.
The Labour Party will be tabling the following motion:
That Dail Eireann deplores the series of educational cuts announced in the budget and subsequently by the Minister for Education; expresses its serious concern at the damage these cuts will cause to the education system and to the future prospects of our children; and calls on the government, in particular, to reverse the decision to increase class sizes at first and second level.
Click here to link to yesterday's press release from the National Alliance for Primary Education
29 October 2008
