Disadvantaged people ‘hardest hit’ by school cutbacks

TEACHING services for disadvantaged people are to be disproportionately affected by cutbacks, an educational leader has warned.

City and county vocational education committees (VECs) manage around 240 second-level schools, but also administer services such as Youthreach for early school-leavers, adult education services and back-to-education courses.

However, while teachers who retire or leave their posts will be replaced in the next school year, the head of the VECs’ umbrella body said that vacancies in other services are being treated differently.

“These are services working with young people from disadvantaged communities and with adults trying to upskill themselves or improve their chances of getting work,” said Michael Moriarty, general secretary of the Irish Vocational Education Association.

He said there were three vacancies in the 33 VECs for adult education officers, but the Department of Education has indicated that the Department of Finance will not approve replacements.

“If a principal or deputy principal in a school leaves, they will be replaced, but these staff will not, even though they are effectively the principals for adult education services in every city or county,” Mr Moriarty said.

He said that, while Government policy statements have reiterated that frontline services will be a priority, the Department of Finance seems intent on creating a policy distinction between teaching and principal education posts in a school and similar posts in a non-school setting, where budgets have already been cut by 4%.

“To continue to block these appointments will result in serious damage to an entire cohort of non-school students so dependent on these teaching services. If this policy continues, it can only be construed as class discrimination,” Mr Moriarty said.

He called on Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe to spell out the importance of these teaching posts to marginalised people to the Department of Finance.

A spokesperson for the minister said his officials have sought clarification from the Department of Finance about the application of the moratorium in relation to VEC sector employees, including those in further and adult education programmes. “It’s hoped that clarification can be provided to the sector as soon as possible.”