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Published: 24 October 2008

Source : Irish Times

Primary school bodies say proposed cuts will cause chaos
SEÁN FLYNN, Education Editor

PRESSURE ON the Government to reverse the education cuts is set to intensify after primary school managers said they would cause chaos in schools.

In a highly significant move, the seven management bodies of over 3,000 primary schools have come together to combat "the discriminatory and morally unsustainable'' Budget cuts.

The seven groups represent 21,000 volunteers on school boards of management upon whom the management of the primary system depends.

The Budget cuts to a chronically underfunded primary school system are, they say, counter-productive and short-sighted.

The school managers say:

• The change in substitution regulations will cause chaos in schools on a weekly basis;

• The removal of a range of supports for vulnerable children will mean that unaddressed educational needs will require greater costs in the future;

• The delivery of education to all children will be directly damaged;

• Already overburdened principals will be presented with an enormous increase in their workloads;

• School boards will not be able to fulfil their statutory obligations to parents and children to deliver the national curriculum; and

• The duty of care of boards of management to employees and children will be greatly compromised by the increase in pupil/teacher ratios and the withdrawal of substitution.

The statement was issued by the National Association of Gaelscoileanna; Foras Pátrúnachta na Scoileanna Lán-Ghaeilge; the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association; the National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education; the Church of Ireland Board of Education; Educate Together; and the Islamic Board of Education.

School managers say the re-imposition of the cap on the allocation of language support teachers and supports for Traveller children is discriminatory and morally unsustainable.

"It dilutes scarce and precious supports to schools that are working in areas of greatest need. It singles out the most vulnerable and least politically vocal for attack. As such, it is immoral and deeply offensive to those managing schools."

The school managers say the removal of book grants for all but recognised disadvantaged schools is also a serious miscalculation.

"There are disadvantaged children in all schools. The cuts will lead to an increase in illiteracy."

The managers dispute the claim by Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe that only 200 jobs will be lost as a result of the increase in class size.

This, they say, is a gross underestimation. "A more accurate figure is 1,000 teachers to be taken out of the system. This represents a massive reduction in front-line teaching."

The removal of substitution cover for uncertified sick absences by teachers is, they say, a profoundly flawed measure which will cause chaos in schools and result in additional costs to the State.

© 2008 The Irish Times

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Published: 24 October 2008

Source : Irish Examiner

By Niall Murray, Education Correspondent
ANOTHER minister was slammed over planned class size increases after claiming the Government will help maintain the country's reputation as a science leader.


Dr Jimmy Devins, Junior Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, was speaking at the opening of two Advanced Research Enhancement centres at Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) yesterday. "The Government stands willing, ready and able to foster and support centres like these to push Ireland to leader status in research and development globally," he said. Click Here


Dr Devins told the Irish Examiner it is unfortunate that class sizes would increase, but he has faith in the education system's ability to maintain standards of students taking up science, engineering and technology at third level. "It is a challenge we have to meet head on and once we improve the general economic situation, which we expect to take up to 18 months, we hope to continue reducing class sizes," he said.

But the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) said it was another example of one government minister unaware of what his colleagues are doing, as Dr Devins promotes science and technology while minister Batt O'Keeffe delivers the most callous cuts ever in primary schools.

"A recent report by Mr O'Keeffe's advisers showed how implementing the science curriculum was affected by over-crowded classes and a lack of resources, both of which he has made worse through his budget cuts," said INTO general secretary John Carr.

"Primary teachers can't implement the curriculum fully until numbers fall, it is impossible to conduct a hands-on practical lesson with more than 30 pairs of hands in the class," he said.

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) warned numbers going to third level with Leaving Certificate science subjects could fall because of second-level school staff cuts. "All non-core subjects will be vulnerable next year because reduced staffing means some subjects might have to be dropped, which includes science subjects for Leaving Certificate," said ASTI general secretary John White.

He said the situation will be worsened by the abolition of a grant of €12.70 for every student taking physics or chemistry to Leaving Certificate level for equipment and labs. "The Government should be encouraging young people to study science at second-level, not stripping schools of science resources," said Mr White.

He has also written to GAA general secretary Paraic Duffy, asking him to convey the association's concerns to Mr O'Keeffe about the suspension of substitution cover for second-level teachers on school business from January, which may lead to the cancellation of games and competitions.

The GAA has asked to meet the minister about its fears the move will curtail the development of Gaelic games in schools.

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Published: 24 October 2008

Source : Irish Independent

By Aine Kerr, Fionnan Sheahan and Senan Molony in Beijing

Friday October 24 2008

Taoiseach Brian Cowen yesterday backed his embattled Health Minister Mary Harney just as the Greens sparked a new crisis over education cuts.

Accepting his leadership is damaged, Mr Cowen's attempt to draw a line under the medical card fiasco was overshadowed by sabre-rattling within the Coalition over the school spending cutbacks.

Reeling from the criticism of its involvement in the over-70s medical cards decision, the Green party is again desperately trying to distance itself from the flak over the tough cutbacks in the Budget.

Education flared up as the fresh Budget battleground, as unions and parents were joined by a Green party backbencher and Independent TD Jackie Healy-Rae in demanding Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe revisit his savage range of measures.

In a further sign of the disarray within the junior coalition partners over the Budget fallout, the Green leadership is now considering the alternative proposals put forward by their education spokesman Paul Gogarty.

Green ministers John Gormley and Eamon Ryan are not ruling out bringing his spending plans to Cabinet, even though the proposals involve transferring funds from other areas of the department -- something the Government says it will not do. Earlier this week, when Mr Gogarty put up similar ideas for the medical card cuts, his plans were not taken to Government, so there is no reason to believe that status has changed.

But the continuing backlash over the Budget means the Greens are now understanding the need to be seen acting up.

With teacher unions, parent groups and opposition parties ratcheting up the pressure, Mr Gogarty yesterday wrote to the Education Minister seeking a reversal of the most hard-hitting education cuts.

"I cannot in all credibility stand by some of the proposals made by your Department," he said. Mr Gogarty, the Oireachtas Education Committee chairman, laid out a series of changes which could yield €194m for the Government in non-education areas.

Last night, a spokesman for the Greens in Government said TDs and Senators had met yesterday to discuss Mr Gogarty's proposals. He confirmed that they "agreed to look and see what can be taken from it".

The Green Party backbencher was joined by Independent TD Jackie Healy-Rae, who called for "radical changes" to the education cuts.

Immoral

Seven school management bodies also combined to condemn "immoral and deeply offensive" education cuts and warn of chaos in primary schools from January.

Mr Cowen insisted, however, that the education cuts made in the budget would stand.

The Taoiseach also candidly declared that worse cutbacks than the slashing of health service provisions to pensioners were actively considered by the Government for Budget 2009.

And Mr Cowen also announced his backing for his embattled Health Minister.

"Mary Harney has my confidence and support," he said.

Accepting mistakes were made on the medical card issue, Mr Cowen admitted he was damaged goods following the medical card crisis.

"While [my] authority may not have been as high last week as it was the week before, there is also to authority, the question of leadership," Mr Cowen said.

As the battle in the Dail continued over medical cards for the over-70s and spread to other areas, Tanaiste Mary Coughlan refused to cancel Dail's extra day off next week, despite the 17 separate pieces of legislation needed to bring the budget into effect.

The Dail won't now be sitting again until next Wednesday afternoon.

- Aine Kerr, Fionnan Sheahan and Senan Molony in Beijing

He said that significant investment in science research was still relatively new in Irish higher education.

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Published: 24 October 2008

Source : Irish Examiner

By Niall Murray, Education Correspondent
GOVERNMENT cutbacks in education spending are immoral and discriminatory, primary school managers declared yesterday.

In a detailed statement outlining the impact of planned staffing and funding cuts, the seven management bodies representing boards of the country's 3,300 primary schools called for the coalition to immediately reconsider the range of cuts to front line services planned by Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe.

The groups, representing managers of schools under Catholic, Church of Ireland and Islamic patronage, as well as those with multi-denominational and inter-denominational ethos, special schools and all-Irish schools, said budget measures on education were short-sighted and will result in additional costs to taxpayers in the long term.

"The re-imposition of a cap on language support teachers and reducing supports for Traveller children is discriminatory and morally unsustainable. It singles out the most vulnerable and least politically vocal for attack," they said.

"It is immoral and deeply offensive to those managing schools, it will reduce the educational outcomes for such children, reduce their eventual productivity as citizens and increase the costs to the State of expensive later interventions," said the managers.

They singled out Defence Minister Willie O'Dea's comments earlier this week about class sizes, when he said there will be only one more child in each primary class as a result of the staffing changes, which will leave schools with 200 fewer teachers to work with 11,000 extra pupils. The remarks were described as misleading and evidence of a complete lack of understanding of the reality of schools.

Teachers and parents of students in more than 240 second level schools warned that the cutbacks will erode the educational improvements made over the past 15 years, despite Mr O'Keeffe's suggestion that things will be turned around in two years.

"Cutbacks in education for two years will have a hugely negative impact for years to come and a whole cohort of students will lose out.

"We were already third-last in education investment in the developed world, these cuts will ensure we win the race to the bottom of the league," said the Teachers' Union of Ireland and parents' associations for the vocational, community and comprehensive sectors.

Labour Party Education spokesman Ruairi Quinn, who will propose a motion calling on the Government to reverse the class size increases next week, said the issue was chosen because it will affect every pupil and every school in the country, but a range of other cuts will also have drastic implications.

"Already teachers are warning that some schools may have to close from January because of the cutbacks in teacher substitution, while the massive turnout in Dublin on Wednesday illustrates the concerns of third level students at the 66% increase in college registration charges and the threat to reintroduce tuition fees," he said.

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