THE FULL impact of education cuts are only being felt as schools begin the new term. The scale and insensitivity of some of the measures is astonishing. A swathe of supports – many targeting the disadvantaged and the vulnerable – have been swept away. More than 100 classes for children with mild special learning needs will be abolished; English language support for newcomer children has been scaled back, while book and library grants have been cut.
There will be substantial job losses too. The department maintains 400 jobs will go across primary and second level while some in the teacher unions have claimed 3,500 jobs will be lost at second level. With schools still to receive their final allocation for the new term, it is difficult to assess these rival claims. But school managers and principals’ groups believe in excess of 1,000 teaching posts will go unfilled in both primary and second level schools.
Cutbacks of this scale are being made in an education system which remains poorly resourced by international standards. After almost two decades of unprecedented economic growth, the Republic still has the second largest class sizes in the EU. Our spending on education in relation to our wealth is next to bottom of the OECD table. In many schools, science laboratories – far from being at the cutting edge of the so-called smart economy – are poorly resourced and dilapidated. The roll-out of school computers – another casualty of the latest series of cuts – still lags well behind our international competitors.
Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe has acknowledged that “some of the decisions we have taken will cause real challenges for teachers and principals”. But he has also implored teachers to co-operate during “these difficult times for our country’’.
Former president Mary Robinson said last weekend that ways must be found to protect the quality of our education and the goal of achieving access for all to education. Education, she said, is the key if we are to maintain momentum in strengthening innovation and knowledge skills at all levels. That, in turn, is vital to create employment.
Essentially, Mrs Robinson was saying that the value of our education system must be cherished, nurtured and protected. Every parent who stood at the school gates this week would concur with these sentiments. But the Government and Mr O’Keeffe are pushing on, regardless, with a series of crude cuts which could prove counter-productive.
The Minister has shown some skill in negotiating a workable compromise on the vexed issue of teacher supervision and substitution. He would do well to engage in a similar round of negotiations with school managers, teacher unions and the other education partners now. Some of the cutbacks have the potential to inflict lasting damage on our education system. It is acknowledged that the Government has to establish priorities at this time. But it is questionable whether education should be at the frontline.