Call for Leitrim teachers and parents to unite against education cuts
Leitrim Branch of TUI are calling on all parents in Leitrim from all sectors to join together in protect against the budget cuts in education by going to Donegal Town on Saturday, 29th of November at 1.30pm.
They go on to say "The reference to an increase of "just one" in the pupil teacher ratio is not just regressive but is dangerously misleading. It is a rowing back on a hard fought for gain, which will undermine the education of students in a whole range of ways.
This cut together with the other cuts announced will:
1. Seriously limit subject choice which will effect student's career options.
2. Lead to large classes where all students will lose out on teacher tuition time.
3. Further marginalise those already on the parameters of society and education.
4. Deprive students with special needsof vital resources
5. Put increased school transport costs on parents
6. Put increased financial pressure on parents because of withdrawal of the school book grants.
7. Put a disproportionate burden on vulnerable parents to make up the shortfall in school budgets.
8. Deprive students of opportunities toparticipate in sporting and cultural activities
"TUI estimates that changes to the mechanism used to calculate teachers at second level will result in a reduction of almost 1,000 teachers from the current quota at second level by the start of the next school year.
"These cuts will effect all schools in Leitrim, this is in addition to the 200 job cuts that would be induced by withdrawal of funding to certain disadvantaged schools. Most schools in Leitrim benefited from this scheme up to this announcement.
"We are abhorred by the increase in the staffing schedule for teachers and the restrictions to be introduced to substitution cover and other teacher allocations including English language support.
At a time when we should be trying to kick-start economic recovery through our education system, the Government's solution is to increase class sizes and slash vital services."
Among OECD countries, just the Slovak Republic and Greece spend less than Ireland on education.
Withdrawal of some 200 posts provided to non-DEIS designated schools also hits the disadvantaged as does the reduction in capitation funding for traveller education and the reduction by 100 of the places in traveller education, the reduction of 500 places in the Back To School Initiative.
The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) has learned that an increased pupil to teacher ratio is also to apply to the Further Education Sector, the Leaving Cert Vocational Certificate, the Leaving Cert Applied Programme and other programmes that were designed to respond to specific needs. Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses will be particularly badly hit by the new cuts.
Speaking yesterday to the Leitrim Observer, Leitrim Branch of TUI said "This is another vicious attack on education which was not even put in the public domain until now. Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses will be particularly badly hit by this short-sighted decision.
"Unemployment is soaring; the need to up-skill and re-skill is escalating by the day. The acknowledged strength of the Further Education sector, particularly in relation to PLC courses, lies in the range of courses offered and how colleges can react and tailor these courses to the specific and unique employment needs of the local community.
"Now is not the time to undermine and reduce the capacity of the Further Education sector to engage people in relevant learning programmes that prepare them for the labour market and support progression to higher education.
"The change in the staffing schedule will inevitably have a hugely detrimental effect on the diversity of courses offered to students, with an inevitable follow-on effect on their employment prospects. It will undo years of magnificent progress in the sector.
"Many courses run for more than one year so the new pupil teacher ratio will throw the system into absolute chaos. Put simply, a logistical nightmare lies ahead for course co-ordinators.
The justification for these programmes to operate on a lower pupil:teacher of 16:1 has long been established in terms of:
• the high emphasis on technological based subjects
• labour market skills
• practical tasks
• applied and experiential learning
• practical based examinations
* and the high planning and administrative demand associated with these. In particular further education must be responsive to changing labour market needs and skills deficits.
"Programmes such as the Leaving Cert Vocational Programme promote technological courses while the Leaving Certificate Applied and the Junior Cert Schools Programme underpin the governments own strategy to improve retention at second level. Research shows that vast majority of students have a preference for activity based learning students, which benefits their overall achievement. Coupled with the withdrawal of substantial grant aid, the cuts will decimate these programmes in schoolS," the statement concluded.
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Weather for Carrick-on-Shannon, Ireland
Thursday 17 May 2012
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