THE GOVERNMENT appears intent on rewarding “bad behaviour’’ in the banks while scaling back on public services and job opportunities for the young, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) claimed last night.
Union general secretary Sheila Nunan claimed there was “no balance, fairness or justice’’ in the handling of the banking crisis, and no appetite to tackle the excessive bonuses and exit packages to failed banking executives.
Ms Nunan said this was sending out the wrong signals. “It appears the Government is rewarding bad behaviour,” she said. “Teachers know the dangers of encouraging bad behaviour.”
In responding to Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn’s address, she welcomed his acknowledgement of the part played by primary teachers “who are working longer and harder in the education service”. These comments, she said, “stand in stark contrast to the undermining of the public service and the critical comments of the public service”.
Ms Nunan said primary teachers had delivered on their side of the Croke Park agreement. “They expect the agreement to be honoured by the employer’s side.”
The futures of young teachers had been determined by the banking crisis, she continued. Their burden-sharing began when the last government gambled their future to save the banks, which had themselves gambled their way to the brink of disaster.
“Now, as these young teachers exit colleges with hard-earned and well-deserved teacher qualifications, they see those in the banks who caused or contributed to the crisis exiting the banks with obscene retirement packages.”
She said in contrast, young teachers face pay cuts of up to 15 per cent, a much reduced pension scheme and very slim employment opportunities. “This is unfair, unjust and unwarranted.”
INTO president Jim Higgins said progress on literacy and numeracy had been hampered by dilapidated school buildings, large classes, a lack of teaching materials and in recent years, the lack of qualified teachers. He said primary teachers would respond to the challenge of raising literacy and numeracy standards, adding the Minister had to give a commitment to support teachers by resourcing modern classrooms.
