On the streets -- calls for massive support for education protest
By LISA DEENEY
KILDARE schools are on the march against the Budget education cuts, and many are calling on members and school communities to take part in a protest outside the Dil this evening, Wednesday 29 October, at 6.30pm. The protest, against budget cutbacks, is to coincide with a Labour party Dil motion on class size. Teacher unions, INTO and the ASTI, have also asked Kildare teachers and parents to lobby TDs and councillors.
In Sallins, one third-year student has organised a petition from local youngsters protesting against what they see as a threat to their education and future prospects.
Principals say a cutback on substitute teachers will result in the worst-case scenario of students possibly being sent home. Unions claim teachers’ jobs will be cut and oversized classrooms will impact negatively on children’s learning.
Brendan O’Sullivan, INTO executive member for north Kildare, said the decision to reduce class sizes was “a betrayal of young children”. He said government promised to protect the vulnerable, particularly children. They delivered the most swinging, mean-spirited cuts in living memory that will impact most on primary education. “As a result of the budget Irish primary school classes will be the most over-crowded in Europe,” said Mr O’Sullivan.
Many also claim the Government is targeting the underprivileged with the huge reductions in capitation funding for Travellers, the withdrawal of teacher posts which have previously been provided under disadvantage schemes to schools.
Principal of Naas CBS Noel Merrick is among the protesters and he says the cutbacks are “astonishing and severe in the extreme”. He says as a direct result of the new teacher-pupil ratio his school will lose two permanent teachers. He also explains that subject options at senior cycle will have to be restricted.
“For instance, instead of seven subjects being timetabled at the same time as happens in Fifth Year at the moment, this will have to be reduced to six subjects next year, thus causing classes to be larger with less subject choice,” he says adding that some subjects may have to be removed altogether from the curriculum.
He also claims many schools throughout Kildare “will have no option but to send students home, something which schools will be very slow to do but we may have no choice due to health and safety concerns.”
He adds: “The removal of substitution for official school business will have an impact in the following areas from 7th January next, the ending of inter-schools sporting activities such as Gaelic football, basketball, hurling, rugby and soccer; and field trips for course work in subjects such as geography and science, etc. will not go ahead.”
Meanwhile principal Anthony McCreevy of Athy’s rdscoil na Tronide agrees that if the proposed cutbacks are implemented “every school in the county will be affected from January”.
Mr McCreevy claims the proposed cutbacks will “absolutely fiercely affect” his school. “The cutbacks will affect out Book Scheme, which relies heavily on grants. It will be fiercely affected. Many parents at the school appreciated the scheme and if the grant is removed the scheme will be seriously undermined and it wouldn't be able to continue.”
Mr McCreevy says at presents there are no plans to protest but he will take the lead from the relevant trade unions. He adds: “It depends on whether the Government will introduce the measures. We will wait and see what the National Parents Association and the relevant unions do and take their lead.”
In St Mary’s College, Naas, third-year student Maddie Murdock is organising a petition from the children of Sallins and Sallins Pier affected by the proposed education cutbacks. So far, more than 100 children have signed the petition.
In a letter to Kildare North FF TD Aine Brady, the 14-year-old girl describes the Government’s “blind observance of the budget proposals in relation to the proposed education cuts a gesture of defiance to the children of the people you represent. We need more investment in our future, not less.”
In St Mary’s College, Maddie claims three teaching posts will be axed, the Transition Year programme will be scaled back and subjects such as Life Science will be “dramatically affected” if the proposed cutbacks proceed.
It has also been reporting many teaching posts across the county are in jeopardy. In Ballycane parents were informed via a letter that three teaching posts are in jeopardy and the school is urging parents to protest and lobby their local representatives.
President of the National Parents Council, Tommy Walshe, is also calling on Kildare parents and students to join them today (Wednesday) for the protest outside the Dil at 6.30pm. “When times were good, the education system got nothing and now it is the first to bet. We are calling on people to march outside the Dil. There will be an awful lot of changes in school that will damage our children’s education; oversized classes, grants and subject cutbacks, no substitute teachers. If there is no budget for supervision what can you do but send the children home. We, the National Parents Council, are not standing for it. Parents need to take action before it is too late - now is the time to take action.”
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Weather for Naas, Ireland
Thursday 17 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 7 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North east
