Time to give youth a chance
WHEN is a knowledge economy no longer a knowledge economy?
When the employment and education cuts it implements to save the economy directly and indirectly impact on the next generation’s opportunity to educate itself.
The cabinet may reject the claim, but Tuesday’s €6 billion of budget cuts will do little to stimulate the economy and bring us back to recovery.
Instead — according to representative groups for those in school, college and just starting out in their search for work — it risks discouraging the future of Ireland from continuing their education, and could pressure them to leave their homeland altogether.
The most pressing issues can be seen in education.
As a result of budget 2011, a total of 150 planned teacher appointments are to be deferred and a reduction of up to 1,200 posts will take place from next September, saving €24 million in salaries, rising to €98 million by 2014.
School support services for pupils from the Traveller community and those with language needs will also be cut, as will those for DEIS schools.
The number of grants offered to secondary schools and VECs will be reduced by 5%, and college registration fees will rise to €2,000.
The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) said the budget plans amount to saving the economy money now by “storing up problems for the future” — both for the country’s education system and society in general.
“While we note that the general pupil-teacher ratio remains unchanged, second-level schools are now at breaking point as a result of previous cuts to education,” warned the union’s general secretary Pat King. “Schools are reporting serious concerns about student welfare due to larger classes and less pastoral care support and staff.
“In addition, the budget further compromises the future life chances of vulnerable young people including young Traveller students, international/newcomer students, and students of the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme.
“Schools and teachers working with these pupils will lose specialised teaching staff and many of these students will leave school early,” he insisted.
Outside of the education system, the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) is equally concerned about what impact the austerity measures outlined by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan will have on employment opportunities for the 83,000 young people currently out of work in Ireland and those following them over the coming years.
“We are concerned about the announcement of 5,000 places in the skills development and internship programme which is dependent on private sector employers who, to date, have been slow to take on young people on work experience programmes,” said James Doorley, assistant director of the NYCI.
“Young people and youth services have taken big hits in previous budgets and this one is no different. There is little in the way of real investment in job creation and instead all that is offered are cuts to youth services and supports that might keep young people in education or training.
“This budget provides no stimulus for young people. In fact, it will only aid a further exodus,” he added.
Mr Doorley said the cuts to FÁS course members supports will also act as a further disincentive to drive young people — especially those on low incomes — out of the education and training system and into either poverty or emigration.
However, he continued that a separate issue of greater concern is the introduction of the Universal Social Charge on all incomes, even those for young people “earning very little”. This system is intended to replace the health and income levies. But concern has been raised over its impact on the “salaried poor”, many of whom are young people.
Under this new scheme, someone on €25,500 or less will see their previous health and income levies expense almost double to more than a €1,000.
“The further cut of €6 to the already very low €150 that young jobseekers aged 22 to 24 receive will only compound the difficulty young people are having making ends meet,” continued the NYCI official.
Since the budget’s publication, Government officials have been at pains to emphasise the positives and stress that any short-term difficulties are in the interests of saving the country.
For those representing the youth of Ireland, however, the bottom line is this: Teenagers today may very well go on to college, receive qualifications which will open doors to specialised jobs which will in turn entitle them to higher salaries.
But the hurdles put in the way of their way by budget 2011, regardless of what is said, will at best discourage them from doing so, at worst block them altogether.
For young people already in employment or in the market for work but on low salaries, there is no real incentive to continue at the coal-face.
Instead, they are effectively being asked to pay more than their share or consider leaving to take advantage of better opportunities abroad.
These scenarios do not add up to a knowledge economy. They add up to a growing crisis.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
