Opinion Piece - John Carr - The Irish Sun 15/11/08

Opinion Piece - Minister Leave those Kids Alone

15th November 2008

Minister Leave those Kids Alone

Last week, thousands of parents, teachers and others marched through the streets of Galway chanting, “Minister Leave those Kids Alone”. Today, the town of Tullamore, in the heart of the Taoiseach’s constituency will hear the same call.

The cry to leave kids alone is the public’s response to the education cutbacks in last month’s budget. Everyone knows the economy is in trouble. Everyone accepts that savings must be made. But everyone also agrees that children must not be targeted.

During the boom years of the Celtic Tiger bankers, builders and big business did very well. Yet in last month’s budget they were protected while children were asked to make the sacrifices.

Because of the budget over-crowded classes will become even more packed. Parents do not believe the spin that there will only be one extra child in each class. They know that in many cases there will be four, five or six extra children in many classes.

Cutbacks in language teachers will leave thousands of children in those over-crowded classes with no additional help. Special needs children will not get the extra help they need in over-crowded classes. Every child in the class will be worse off.

Another cutback in last month’s budget is that free school-books for poor children will go. This beggars belief. Is it any wonder that government is crashing in the opinion polls when this is the type of cutback being proposed?

Parents and teachers see the injustice of these cut backs and the negative impact on their children’s future. It’s no wonder they are up in arms.

Parents and teachers do not mind paying for the excesses of the Celtic Tiger. But they draw the line at expecting children to pay for the mismanagement of the past.

John Carr is General Secretary of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation