Waterford college staff working in ‘fearful atmosphere’ 

Staff at the Waterford College of Further Education have raised concerns with management over the direction the school is taking.

Staff at the Waterford College of Further Education said they are working under "a fearful atmosphere" and that their  work lives have "changed dramatically" in recent years.

Staff at a further education college in Waterford city have said they are working under "a fearful atmosphere".

They have sent a letter to the Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB) notifying it of concerns regarding management at the Waterford College of Further Education (WCFE).

It is their second time sending such a letter since early 2020, having sent the first on foot of a protest held by students at the college over failures to deliver equipment. One version of the earlier letter was sent to the school's board of management and carried approximately 43 signatures of full-time staff.

The WCFE, which did not respond to requests for comment, is the largest further education college in the South East with roughly 60 full-time staff.

Letter of concern

In the latest letter, the staff outline a "fearful" atmosphere, saying that their work lives have "changed dramatically" in recent years.

The letter describes a number of issues at the school, including the early retirement and resignations by a combined nine staff.

Six teachers who spoke to the Irish Examiner on condition of anonymity said they have "lost confidence in the management and direction of the school" and want to see intervention by the WWETB.

The first letter, sent to the Board of Management in early 2020, said that staff wanted "to echo the concerns our students highlighted, and hereby request that current management practices at WCFE be discussed at board level as a matter of urgency". However, it is understood no further action was taken.

The board of management did not respond to queries from this newspaper.

A spokeswoman for the WWETB confirmed it has not sought to meet with staff following the receipt of the letters, and added that it is "unaware of any staff members that have a grievance about the workplace".

She said:

 "I can tell you that the management of WWETB is more than willing to engage with staff that have any concerns across any of our schools or centres. The procedures are in place to protect and support all staff, including our managers."

The Teachers’ Union of Ireland, which represents teachers in FET colleges, declined to comment, saying it will deal with any issues through its own procedures.