Teacher centres in €2m revamp face closure
The country’s 21 full-time centres provide in-service training, library facilities and other supports for the country’s 50,000 primary and second level teachers. They have undergone major expansion in recent years, with Government investment of €27.5 million since 1996.
A review of the network recommends that three of them be closed and suggests the work of six of the nine part-time centres be incorporated within full-time ones.
The three recommended closures include Sligo Education Centre, which underwent a €1.1 million refurbishment, and was completed in October 2001. The Kildare Education Centre, which had a €900,000 extension opened in October 2000, is also recommended for closure, along with Kilkenny Education Centre.
The report by the Department of Finance’s Centre for Management and Organisation Development suggests the teachers and schools using each of the three centres be reassigned to others in their region.
While the proposals have angered staff and teachers, the Department of Education said no decisions have been made yet.
“There will have to be a lot of planning and consultation before it is decided what to do,” a department spokesperson said.
But the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) wants Education Minister Noel Dempsey to guarantee the continuance of the centres, which it says provide vital professional development opportunities.
“Any move to close these centres will not only damage the Irish education service, but represents a gross mismanagement of educational resources,” said ASTI president PJ Sheehy.
“At a time when the minister repeatedly stresses the importance of life-long learning, it is imperative that he should support the maintenance of a key professional development service for teachers,” he said.
There is also anger over delays in the construction of a €1.9 million national education centre to support the teaching of Irish and teaching through Irish in schools. The centre for pre-school to third level education was announced for Ballyvourney, Co Cork, by former Education Minister Michael Woods in June 2000.
“The teaching of Irish has been starved of resources for years and delaying this is just not acceptable. This was supposed to be a national centre and should take precedence over other building projects,” said Gaelscoileanna president Dónal Ó hAiniféin.
The centre was expected to begin construction this year but the Department of Education said it would be next year at the earliest before work begins, depending on funding available.
