Budget Cuts in Education 20/10/08

Statement by John Carr on Budget Cuts in Education - Minister leave those kids alone

20th October 2008

The INTO has accused the government of choosing soft targets in last week’s budget: the old, the lower paid and school children. According to the union most people have yet to realize the extent of the cuts in primary schools.

The INTO says more than a thousand teaching jobs will be lost in primary schools. More than three hundred primary schools will either lose a teacher or be unable to appoint a teacher next year because of the decision to increase class size. Up to five hundred English language teaching posts will be lost. Two hundred jobs will go in disadvantaged schools. Substitute teacher jobs will not be filled.

INTO General Secretary John Carr said the decision to increase class sizes is incomprehensible. He said during the boom years the wealth of the country went on tax breaks to bankers, builders and big business. “As a result Ireland had the highest class sizes in the EU,” said Carr. “After this budget, Ireland will have the most over crowded classes in Europe.”

“It simply cannot be allowed to happen. There’s a new curriculum in schools, more special needs pupils, more children without English in our schools. Pupils need, and are entitled to teacher time in a modern school. They won’t get it with thirty or more in a room.”

He said government will earn the contempt of teachers and parents if this shocking decision is not reversed.  He said Fianna Fail’s education policy on class size appeared to be “A lot of children, more to come.”

Ruling out industrial action at this time he said there will be no need for teachers to strike. “Government decisions will keep children out of school, not teachers,” said Carr. He said there was a strong likelihood that children would be sent home if substitute teachers were not provided to cover teacher absences.

He said this would be against the background of up to a thousand newly qualified teachers join the dole queue next summer. “No newly qualified teacher will get a teaching job in Ireland summer,” said Carr.

There has been an outcry over medical cards for the over seventies and an outcry over the levy on the lower paid. There must now be an outcry over attacks on primary education.

He said the Minister Batt O Keeffe should be brought back from China to sort out the mess. “The Taoiseach under pressure is now willing to talk to the doctors about medical cards,” said Carr. “The Finance Minister is now willing to look at the 1% levy on the lower paid. The Education Minister must reverse the decision on primary class sizes.”

Ends.