INTO General Secretarys Address to Congress 2009 14/04/09
Press Statement by John Carr, INTO General Secretary
Speech by John Carr, INTO General SecretaryINTO Annual Congress, Letterkenny
14 April 2009
“The land of saints and scholars now sacrifices its scholars for its sinners.”
John Carr, General Secretary of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation, said today that Education Minister, Batt O'Keeffe should be in no doubt about the depth of anger among teachers about the government’s handling of the economic crisis and the way the government has failed to protect primary school pupils from its effects.
“Teachers who had neither hand act nor part in the country’s economic collapse bitterly resent ‘having their pockets picked’ to bail out bankers, speculators and developers,” said Carr. “As educationalists, we totally oppose your government forcing children to pay for the recklessness and greed of Ireland’s casino capitalists.”
He said this year alone, teachers have seen their pay cut by seven percent, taxes increased by five percent, a pay deal reneged on, promotions embargoed and a pay award to principals sidelined.
Mr Carr rejected the Minister’s argument that he had to look after the economy to make sure there would be something worthwhile for children in the future. He said all around the world governments are moving to invest in education or at the very least, protect what has been built up. “But the land of saints and scholars now sacrifices its scholars for its sinners,” said Carr.
“Where once young children paid to see a cowboy film,” said Carr, “they now pay for the cowboys. Where once in Ireland young children could play; in today’s Ireland they must pay.”
He told the Minister every book the government doesn’t give to a disadvantaged child undermines their future. “Every English lesson denied to a newcomer child limits their future. And every over-crowded class harms their future.”
“Minister, many things can wait,” said Carr, “children cannot. Here and now their skills are being developed, their attitudes formed and their knowledge extended. To them you cannot say, Tomorrow. Their name is Today.”
He said that was why teachers and others opposes the education cutbacks so vehemently. He likened the Minister’s claim that only 200 teaching jobs would be lost to Sean Fitzpatrick style accounting on the eve of an Anglo Irish AGM. He said the Minister couldn’t ignore more than ten thousand extra children who will enroll in primary schools this year and come up with a bottom line of 200 jobs. “Perhaps you learned your mathematics in an over-crowded class?” he asked the Minister.
Mr Carr told the Minister that “teachers, along with other public servants, never once looked to be a special case, there was no special pleading and at all times teachers offered to pay their fair share.” He said teachers didn’t go into teaching for self- enrichment but neither did they expect to be “cynically mugged” by government in October, February and again in April.
He criticized the government embargo on promoted posts in schools “before just five junior ministers get their P45.” He said a pension levy had been imposed on public servants before pension entitlements to serving TDs were removed and the moderate take home salaries of teachers were slashed before TDs generous expenses were marginally reduced.”
“Mortgage interest relief is taken from ordinary families but a property tax is not asked of those with multiple houses,” said Carr. “An income levy is imposed and then doubled but tax exiles are not asked to contribute a cent to the country providing their passport.”
He asked why government went after 30,000 teachers before going after the country’s 30,000 millionaires.
He admitted the economic situation was “dire” but said that when seven billion can be poured into the banks and 400 million can be found for pigs, “forgive me if I think you have your priorities all wrong”. “Education and employment matter as much as banks and more than bacon,” said Carr.
ENDS.