DIT cuts to centre on music college

POTENTIAL music stars of the future will lose out on their chance to shine because of cutbacks at Dublin Institute of Technology, parents warned last night.

DIT’s Conservatory of Music and Drama is to be worst hit by funding and job cuts, including this week’s announcement that 84 part-time lecturers are to be laid off.

Of the 420 teaching hours being slashed, the Teachers Union of Ireland estimates at least 200 hours are being cut in the music college.

Former students include U2’s Larry Mullen and pianist John O’Connor, while hundreds of others have made a successful career in music.

Around 100 of the 1,400 students are on full-time third level courses but the rest are schoolchildren attending weekly classes from the age of four.

However, a 25% hike in fees and the part-time teaching cuts will probably bring that figure down to 1,000 in September, compared to 2,500 when DIT took over the college in 1993.

“They are making drastic cuts to junior music classes and the €440 charge for tuition is making it totally elitist. That kind of money is putting music education beyond the reach of even middle income families with a few children,” said Caroline Elbay, a coordinator of the Parents for Music campaign group.

She said parents are being forced to decide whether to keep their kids learning music or have a foreign holiday every year, but there are tougher decisions for many families.

“Some people who will simply not be able to afford the fees anymore for their children, who could otherwise have gone on to become professional musicians,” she said.

After inflation and pay increases are taken into account, DIT’s Government funding was cut this year. Although the 84 job cuts will also affect other areas of study in the institute, teacher representatives believe the music college will feel the brunt.

“There are eight or nine part-time music lecturers being left go, but all 80 remaining part-timers are also losing hours,” TUI rep Ite O’Donovan said.

Senior TUI officials hope to discuss the situation with DIT management next week but the chances of reducing lay-offs appear slim. Education Minister Noel Dempsey has refused to intervene as he says it is a matter for the DIT authorities, despite the cuts being forced by his funding allocation.

As part of a series of cost-cutting measures, DIT has already cut staff overtime, stopped replacing retiring lecturers and is postponing some evening courses for this year.

The Union of Students in Ireland warned last night many colleges could face similar problems in the months ahead because of funding cutbacks.

“We are in an economic downturn but by securing savings from education cutbacks the Government is jeopardising both our reputation as a country with a high quality education system and also our future aspirations as a centre of research excellence,” USI president Will Priestley said.