PLANS to reduce the number of Vocational Education Committees (VECs) by about a third and make them more efficient will be brought to Government within three weeks by Tánaiste Mary Coughlan.

FINE GAEL is proposing to cut the number of Vocational Education Committees (VECs) from 33 to 20 in a shake-up of services in schools, further education and youth work.

TEACHING services for disadvantaged people are to be disproportionately affected by cutbacks, an educational leader has warned.

THE budget cutbacks in education will cost vocational schools alone more than 260 teachers and a further 150 jobs could be lost in further education colleges, according to managers.

STATE education bodies are being restricted from expanding and improving services because of Department of Education delays appointing key staff, a conference heard yesterday.

SEAN HAUGHEY’S newfound ministerial status may have come as a political relief, but some weighty issues will keep him on his feet at the Department of Education between now and next year’s general election.

THE country’s local authorities and Vocational Education Committees (VECs) are battling it out to have sole responsibility for the administration of the €200 million student grants scheme.