Union threatens strike over further education funding

TEACHERS in the further education sector may consider going on strike if the Government does not deliver long-sought funding in next week’s budget, a union leader warned last night.

Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) president Paddy Healy said his organisation will exhaust every avenue in their campaign to have the McIver Report recommendations implemented.

The 2003 report, commissioned by the Department of Education, sets out major restructuring of the further education and Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses and colleges which are funded in the department’s second-level budget.

Around 30,000 students are on these courses at over 200 schools and colleges.

But the department did not assign any of the €48 million needed to implement the proposed changes in its 2006 spending plans published last month.

Mr Healy described that decision as immoral in these days of unprecedented budget surpluses.

“Education Minister Mary Hanafin talks extensively about her commitment to tackling disadvantage, yet the sentiments ring hollow when the area providing most second chance education opportunities to those who would otherwise be let down by the system continues to be overlooked,” he said.

Mr Healy said Ireland is unique in Europe because of the absence of a distinct further education sector, which he said should be recognised with appropriate structures.

“Further education students should be given parity with their institute of technology and university peers, with provision of libraries, study areas, canteens, social areas and student unions.”

Mr Healy appealed to Ms Hanafin to seek financial provision for the sector in next week’s budget.

“We assure the minister our campaign will only intensify and we are not ruling out any actions we can take in the light of this breach of trust,” he said.

Having highlighted their concerns in newspaper advertisements yesterday, the TUI executive committee will meet next week after Finance Minister Brian Cowen’s budget speech next Wednesday.

The union’s calls for funding have been echoed by the country’s Vocational Education Committees (VECs) and the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD).

Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA) general secretary Michael Moriarty said the sector must not remain the Cinderella of the education system, particularly in light of the way it responds to meet the economy’s skills needs.

Ger Looney, chairman of NAPD’s adult and further education committee, said: “There continues to be little recognition from the department that the needs of schools and colleges, teachers and students in this sector are very different from the mainstream.”

He said the department had paid “little more than lip service”.