Snip recommendations would destroy education system – TUI
(16 Jul 2009)
'An Bord Snip Nua' report - Education section
Link to full documents on Dept of Finance site
Bord Snip recommendations would destroy education system – TUI
The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has warned that if implemented, the recommendations of the ‘Bord Snip’ report would destroy the education service for a generation of young people – increasing student drop-out, restricting subject selection and ensuring that a generation of students is not given the chance to reach their full potential.
Suggested further cuts to teacher numbers including English language support teachers and integration of Traveller training represent a new low in terms of targeting weakest for harshest punishment.
It is also vital that technological education at third level where there is contact with local industry be protected as we work towards recovery.
TUI urges that the nation’s children not be punished for our economic troubles. Economic recovery will only be possible with the nurturing of a well educated and highly skilled workforce.
Speaking today, TUI Deputy General Secretary Annette Dolan said:
“The attacks outlined in this report would represent an educational disaster and light a short fuse on a social timebomb.
The application of these recommendations on top of a system already nearly destroyed by the current cuts will decimate what is left of the second and third level systems for a generation.
Our already creaking education system cannot countenance any more staff cuts and any further increase in staffing schedules will set the service back several decades and precipitate a rapid descent to a two-tier society.
Students in public sector schools - particularly those in disadvantaged communities - would have their education severely hampered by further cuts and subject choice would be greatly diminished. This would have disastrous consequences for all students in our education system.
Suggested cuts to teacher numbers including English language support teachers and integration of Traveller training represent a new low in terms of targeting the most vulnerable in our society for punishment.
Student drop-out is already running at an unacceptable 20%. This rate will spiral rapidly if the education service is further attacked, as schools are already struggling to maintain retention programmes as a result of the most recent cutbacks. This will add enormously to the exchequer costs as students who do not complete their education have been shown in a variety of studies to be a significant burden on the state through increased unemployment and other support.
With little chance of employment, a staggering rise in students leaving school without qualifications will lead to massive social problems and hundreds of thousands of young people given no chance but to become dependent on the state from their late teens onwards.
The future quality of the labour force is dependent on the quality of our education system. These cuts would greatly diminish our international educational standing.
TUI has a mandate for industrial action from our recent Congress against the implementation of cutbacks which would destroy the educational potential of students currently in the system.
The Government and its various think tanks are still clearly reluctant to move towards the progressive taxation system that would ensure equity for all.”