|
|
Donegal outrage at education cuts
31.10.08
TWO bus loads of
teachers and parents from Donegal were among the
crowd at a huge rally in Dublin held this week to
protest against the Government's cuts in education.
The rally outside Leinster House was organised by
the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) who
said the country's children should not have to
suffer for the mistakes of the banks and those who
profited from an over-inflated property industry.
Opposition to the education cutbacks is gathering
momentum by the day both from parents, teachers and
politicians. |
Sinn Féin's education
spokesperson Senator Pearse Doherty addressed
Wednesday evening's rally and called on Education
Minister Batt O'Keeffe to reverse his decision.
“Fianna Fáil has completely abandoned its commitment
to reduce class sizes by 2010. Plan’s to increase
class sizes, if implemented, will result in up to
1,200 primary school teachers being let go and the
further overcrowding of classrooms," said Senator
Doherty.
"Our education system is in disarray and rather than
come up with a plan in Budget 2009 to reverse this
situation the Government is intent on deepening the
crisis. Shame on them. Education should be seen as a
way out of the recession |
 |
rather than a victim of
it," he added.
Meanwhile, North and West MEP Marian Harkin claimed
the proposed cutbacks would place Ireland at the
bottom of the EU league table for class sizes.
“As a former teacher at second level I am appalled
at the failure of this Government to understand just
how harmful their budget decisions will be to the
educational development of all pupils but, in
particular, those who require special assistance to
equip them for increasingly challenging times
ahead," said Ms Harkin.
"The decision in Budget 2009 to focus cutbacks on
the young and the old revealed a disturbing thought
process at the heart of a government which declined
to tax alcohol but inflicted hugely damaging
impositions on the education system.
“What this Government is doing is proposing a huge
new burden of fundraising on hard pressed parents,
many of whom are at their wits' end in paying for
childcare and others facing an increasingly worrying
employment situation."
Ms Harkin urged the Government to "scrap the current
Budget" and produce one that people could
"reasonably respond to, in a spirit of patriotism". |
|
