Summer
October 24th, 2008, 02:57 PM
The twelve tough education cuts
1. Increase class sizes in all schools
2. Cut teacher numbers. Minister insists only 400 jobs will go but unions say figure will be over 2,000
3. Abolish substitute cover for teachers on uncertified sick leave and on official school business
4. Increase school transport charges and exam fees
5. Reduce provision of English language teachers
6. Abolish 7 grant schemes for areas such as Transition Year, Choirs and Orchestras and Leaving Cert Applied
7. Slash education funding for travellers; youth services; in-service training for teachers
8. Restrict free book scheme to designated disadvantaged schools only
9. Scrap early retirement scheme for teachers
10. Defer implementation of Education for Persons with Special Needs Act
11. Reduce no of places on Back to Education schemes and Senior Traveller Training Centres
12. Increase student registration charges from €900-€1,500
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/budget2008/the-measures/the-twelve-tough-education-cuts-1508240.html
Another story added to this:
Schools blast education cuts as 'immoral and offensive'
Education cuts were last night condemned as "immoral and deeply offensive" by management bodies representing 3,250 primary schools.
They warned that boards of management would not be able to fulfil their legal statutory obligations to parents and children to deliver the national curriculum.
The claim came as teacher unions called on their members to put pressure on local TDs in advance of next week's Dail vote on class sizes.
The management bodies, representing Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, multi-denominational, Irish and special-needs schools, issued a detailed statement outlining the effects of the main cuts.
Their statement said the class-size change would mean that 1,000 teachers would suddenly become 'over quota' next year and would have to be redeployed.
They would then have to be reabsorbed into the system and remain on the payroll. New teachers graduating from college would be unable to secure positions. "What exactly will be the cost savings for this grossly disruptive and negative measure," asked the managers.
They described the removal of book grants from schools not in the disadvantaged scheme as a "serious miscalculation".
There were disadvantaged children in all schools, they said. "Departments reports show that one out of 10 families have less than 10 books at home. Further reports demonstrate that we have major issues with literacy.
Increase
"The cuts will lead to an increase in illiteracy. How can the reading skills be addressed if children do not have books," they asked.
Their statement described the removal of substitution cover for uncertified sick absences by teachers as a flawed measure which would cause chaos in schools and result in additional costs to the State:
This measure would:
• Result in massive disruption of school classrooms, with classes reassigned at short notice.
• Result in higher substitution costs as teachers would be encouraged to stay out for longer certified periods.
• Force boards of management (and parents) to pay certain substitution costs.
• Result in increased sickness among staff.
• Have a devastating effect on smaller schools where teachers might have to stop teaching to supervise large groups of children.
Meanwhile, the INTO has taken advertisements in today's newspapers attacking the cuts while the Teachers' Union of Ireland announced that its members would also join in what is expected to be a massive protest outside Leinster House next Wednesday when the Labour Party motion on class size is debated. The vote will take place on Thursday.
The ASTI wrote to the GAA to say the curtailment on substitute cover would have extremely damaging consequences for games in secondary schools.
The TUI joined with the National Parents Association for Vocational Schools and Community Colleges (NPAVSCC) and the Parents Association for Community and Comprehensive Schools saying they would strongly resist the cutbacks detailed in the Budget because they affected the most disadvantaged.
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/budget-2009/news/schools-blast-education-cuts-as-immoral-and-offensive-1508068.html
1. Increase class sizes in all schools
2. Cut teacher numbers. Minister insists only 400 jobs will go but unions say figure will be over 2,000
3. Abolish substitute cover for teachers on uncertified sick leave and on official school business
4. Increase school transport charges and exam fees
5. Reduce provision of English language teachers
6. Abolish 7 grant schemes for areas such as Transition Year, Choirs and Orchestras and Leaving Cert Applied
7. Slash education funding for travellers; youth services; in-service training for teachers
8. Restrict free book scheme to designated disadvantaged schools only
9. Scrap early retirement scheme for teachers
10. Defer implementation of Education for Persons with Special Needs Act
11. Reduce no of places on Back to Education schemes and Senior Traveller Training Centres
12. Increase student registration charges from €900-€1,500
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/budget2008/the-measures/the-twelve-tough-education-cuts-1508240.html
Another story added to this:
Schools blast education cuts as 'immoral and offensive'
Education cuts were last night condemned as "immoral and deeply offensive" by management bodies representing 3,250 primary schools.
They warned that boards of management would not be able to fulfil their legal statutory obligations to parents and children to deliver the national curriculum.
The claim came as teacher unions called on their members to put pressure on local TDs in advance of next week's Dail vote on class sizes.
The management bodies, representing Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, multi-denominational, Irish and special-needs schools, issued a detailed statement outlining the effects of the main cuts.
Their statement said the class-size change would mean that 1,000 teachers would suddenly become 'over quota' next year and would have to be redeployed.
They would then have to be reabsorbed into the system and remain on the payroll. New teachers graduating from college would be unable to secure positions. "What exactly will be the cost savings for this grossly disruptive and negative measure," asked the managers.
They described the removal of book grants from schools not in the disadvantaged scheme as a "serious miscalculation".
There were disadvantaged children in all schools, they said. "Departments reports show that one out of 10 families have less than 10 books at home. Further reports demonstrate that we have major issues with literacy.
Increase
"The cuts will lead to an increase in illiteracy. How can the reading skills be addressed if children do not have books," they asked.
Their statement described the removal of substitution cover for uncertified sick absences by teachers as a flawed measure which would cause chaos in schools and result in additional costs to the State:
This measure would:
• Result in massive disruption of school classrooms, with classes reassigned at short notice.
• Result in higher substitution costs as teachers would be encouraged to stay out for longer certified periods.
• Force boards of management (and parents) to pay certain substitution costs.
• Result in increased sickness among staff.
• Have a devastating effect on smaller schools where teachers might have to stop teaching to supervise large groups of children.
Meanwhile, the INTO has taken advertisements in today's newspapers attacking the cuts while the Teachers' Union of Ireland announced that its members would also join in what is expected to be a massive protest outside Leinster House next Wednesday when the Labour Party motion on class size is debated. The vote will take place on Thursday.
The ASTI wrote to the GAA to say the curtailment on substitute cover would have extremely damaging consequences for games in secondary schools.
The TUI joined with the National Parents Association for Vocational Schools and Community Colleges (NPAVSCC) and the Parents Association for Community and Comprehensive Schools saying they would strongly resist the cutbacks detailed in the Budget because they affected the most disadvantaged.
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/budget-2009/news/schools-blast-education-cuts-as-immoral-and-offensive-1508068.html