Madam, – It has never been more crucial that education be made a key election issue by all voters, regardless of political leanings or traditional party loyalties.

As a nation, we need to drastically change our lexicon regarding education to reflect a more enlightened attitude. There should be no such thing as “spending” on education, it is investment. Similarly, there should be no “current” budget. How can it be labelled such when it defines the life chances of those who pass through the education system? Cuts have been made based on the simplistic view that a cut in teacher or lecturer numbers only leads to a small increase in class size with negligible impact on student experience; this is completely flawed.

At second-level, restricted subject choice, particularly in the crucial science and maths areas and reduced access to higher-level options in many subjects are just two of the devastating effects that cuts in teacher numbers have wreaked on students.

The ludicrous situation whereby young people are being paid to do nothing rather than be encouraged or incentivised to pursue further education and training can be changed at no great expense to the exchequer.

A TUI survey found there were three applications for every Post Leaving Cert (PLC) course this year, yet despite demand, the sector remains artificially capped at 30,000 places with charges now proposed for attendance.

TUI believes much of the basic infrastructure is already in place in our schools, institutes of technology and universities to develop Ireland as a world leader in technological, pharmaceutical and scientific research. Yet without strategic planning and targeted investment, this lofty goal is doomed to failure.

With bravery and resolve any new government can move towards protecting core services on a cost-neutral basis by examining elements of the current budget. We are enduring harsh times of an unprecedented nature, but the unacceptable hypocrisy of cutting from the weak while funding privilege continues.

For example additional support for Traveller children was withdrawn in the last budget’s assault on education, while the pupil- teacher ratio for fee-paying schools (subsidised to the tune of €100m of taxpayers’ money every year) was left untouched. How can this be justified? We need a clear and unequivocal commitment to education from those political parties that aspire to governance. The future of our young people must be paramount in the minds of voters next week. – Yours, etc,

PETER MACMENAMIN,

General Secretary,

Teachers’ Union of Ireland,

Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6.