20,000 people protest against education cuts

THE insistence of parents and teachers that the education budget cutbacks must be reversed was as strong in Cork at the weekend as it was when thousands protested outside the Dáil almost a month ago.

Despite Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe’s repeated statements that he does not have the funding to avoid reducing teacher numbers and withdrawing numerous grants, around 20,000 people from around Munster took part in Saturday’s protest organised by the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO).

Marian Coveney was there with her son, Adam, who is in third class at Cahir Boys’ National School in Co Tipperary, along with 31 other pupils. “It’s my son’s education at the end of the day that’s being affected, Batt O’Keeffe would want to come into the school and see what we’re talking about instead of saying it won’t do any harm having bigger class sizes,” she said.