Commenting on the publication of today’s Action Plan for Education 2017, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) drew attention to the ongoing damage caused by education cutbacks and stated that any new initiatives must be underpinned by the required resourcing.
‘Considerable additional investment must be made if the stated aim of the country’s education system being the best in Europe in a decade is to be realised.
Over several years, a range of cutbacks has inflicted severe damage.
At second level, for example, the general erosion of middle management support positions such as Year Head and cuts to guidance counselling provision and have had a harmful effect on the educational experience of students.
Meanwhile, at third level, the effects of deep funding cuts have long since reached crisis point, with a 10% cut in Institute of Technology lecturer numbers over a time period when student numbers have risen by 32%, or over 21,000.
Unless such measures are reversed and all future initiatives are underpinned by the required resourcing, we will struggle to keep pace with the education systems of our European and OECD counterparts.
The fact that we have more than held our own so far (e.g. the recent PISA findings) is eloquent testament to the commitment and professional excellence of our teachers and lecturers.
However, their energy and capacity to improvise and innovate in a grossly under-resourced environment is not inexhaustible and cannot continue to be taken for granted.’