Education ignored since Estimates cuts

There were no major surprises in the education measures in yesterday’s Budget speech.

In fact, there were no measures announced at all.

The extent of the spending restrictions were clear since the Estimates were published last month, particularly cuts to capital building projects.

With the slash hook taken to third-level programmes and much-needed investment in primary and second level building schemes, Education Minister Noel Dempsey was already coming in for sharp criticism.

Last night, Irish National Teachers Organisation president John Carr said Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy should have borrowed to fund investment in dilapidated and overcrowded schools, which are increasingly funded by raffles and charity walks.

The freezing of capitation grants for schools as expected will also put pressure on the education system.

Management boards and principals will feel the pinch even more over the next 12 months as they try to cope with day-do-day budgets of €266 for each second-level pupil and just €101 for every primary pupil.

Charlie Lennon, general secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland, said the freeze effectively means a cut of up to 10% when inflation, spiralling insurance and other costs are taken into account.

The Joint Managerial Body representing secondary school boards said a minimum 12 rise would have been needed to meet inflation costs alone.

While all education staff will benefit from the phasing of benchmarking awards, including 13% rises for teachers, they are concerned about plans to limit public sector jobs.

The VEC sector will suffer a catastrophic impact as a result because extra staff were already being sought to ease administration workloads, according to the Irish Vocational Education Association.

The INTO said the move to cut 5,000 jobs in three years would do nothing to aid Government plans to further reduce class sizes.