Parents urge CIT to clarify cutbacks impact on music school
A new parents’ lobby group will stage a protest outside the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT)-managed school this morning to highlight the issue.
One spokesman for the group, John O’Callaghan, said parents want CIT’s governing body to meet them face-to-face and clarify exactly how CIT’s budget restraints will impact on CSM.
Their call follows disclosures two weeks ago that a number of lecturing posts could be axed and up to 20,000 teaching hours slashed across CIT, amid funding concerns.
CIT encompasses the Bishopstown campus; the Crawford College of Art and Design; CSM; and the National Maritime College of Ireland. It has about 6,500 full-time students and a similar number of part-time students.
CIT president Brendan Murphy indicated some part-time courses will be discontinued and new ones introduced across the institute as the college attempts to grapple with a budget deficit.
It is understood the institute’s flagship €60 million music school, opened just two years ago, will bear the brunt of the cutbacks.
The school is not taking applications in September for certain courses. There are fears its renowned one-to-one music classes, will be hit hardest.
Up to 2,000 primary and post-primary school children attend these unique and part-time classes. They comprise 94% of all courses run at the school.
Parents’ spokesman Declan O’Toole has three children attending CSM. He said the reality is that the courses being referred to are the courses being delivered to the 2,000 primary and post-primary students. “What they are doing is cutting off the natural supply of musicians for the future,” he said.
He described any attempt to cut these classes as a direct change in CIT’s strategic plan for the school.
He said he was somewhat reassured by a statement from CIT which said there is no question of not providing the full range of music tuition that is currently available at CSM.
But he called for a face-to-face meeting with CIT bosses to get concrete guarantees.
Louise Healy’s eight-year-old daughter also attends violin classes in CSM.
“The school gives children the opportunity to see if you have musical potential, and if you do, you have a great resource in CSM...” she said.
“We want to get concrete information from CIT as to what they are planning.”
She said up to 160 parents attended a meeting last week and another is planned for next week as their campaign continues.
CIT has rejected claims that 20,000 lecturing hours will be cut and has said that any planned changes will take place as part of the normal cycle for review and planning for next year.
