Why teachers are right to fight education cuts

As far back as I can remember the media was always dominated in the week after Easter by the various teachers’ conferences.

They were invariably almost always characterised by fire and brimstone and the various unions threatening industrial action for one reason or another.

This week’s conferences probably have been a bit more vitriolic than normal, and regardless of one’s ideological pre-disposition, one cannot but feel that the teachers have more right on their side on this occasion than normally.

The treatment of the minister for education was not particularly good and does not send out a very constructive message to those pupils that the teachers will be standing in front of next Monday morning. Imagine if students came to school armed with red cards and treated their teachers to the silent treatment? On the other hand, the treatment of teachers by the minister has not been particularly good either.

Having taken significant pay cuts, pension levies and other changes to working conditions since 2008, teachers are justifiably very concerned about the proposals in the Croke Park II agreement. The majority are not now as exorbitantly paid as some commentators are suggesting, given the still very high cost of living in this country and the high mortgage commitments that those of a certain ago are struggling to cope with. If you combine that with the fact that a growing number of teachers do not have full-time contracts and lack job security, it no longer makes for a fulfilling career.

A confused friend of mine recently asked me in all sincerity how in my opinion she should vote on the deal.

My response was quite clear — if you care about the quality of the education system and the value placed in teachers, then you have little choice other than to vote No. She did just that.

Ruairi Quinn clearly wants to be remembered as a reforming minister, but he should remember that reform and change are not always good for their own sake. He is hailing Project Maths as a very positive development, but in my experience very few teachers and very few students actually regard it as a good thing.

Furthermore, when and if those students go on to third-level education and have to study maths as part of an engineering, economics, business or any other course, they could struggle to cope, given the foundation in maths they have been given at second level. Teachers are also in dread of school self-evaluation and the changes to the Junior Certificate.

Many I have spoken to believe they are very ill-prepared for these changes and will get nothing like enough training to cope with it.

I was amused to hear the minister suggest that if the teachers’ unions reject Croke Park II he will have no choice other than to cut frontline services. Does he not realise that frontline services have already been seriously damaged? Many non-fee paying schools now cannot offer anything in the way of career guidance or counselling services to pupils who were never more in need of such services. Furthermore, many schools are now being forced to take certain subjects off the curriculum because they do not have the resources to cope.

For non-fee paying schools the financial reality is now a very harsh one — official funding is being cut and voluntary contributions are falling off dramatically. Lack of funding will damage education.

For the future health of the economy, the quality of the education system is absolutely essential. If teachers and education are undermined any further, then lasting damage will be done to the economy and to society.

Rather than being pre-occupied with issues such as patronage, the minister would be much better employed trying to maintain the standard of education that is being provided.