Teachers are furious as cuts hit students’ prospects

IN our school we have Leaving Cert Applied (LCA) and the Junior Cert school programme along with the traditional Leaving and Junior certificates.

Our students will lose their book rental scheme through which they paid €70 for a year’s books as against the full cost for a set of more than €300.

The cut of €159 per LCA student means the ability of schools to provide an effective Leaving Cert applied programme will be greatly reduced.

We will not be able to link students to the world of work because the Department of Education does not cover teachers on school business and we will not be able to provide workshops to broaden their skills range because of the cut in funding.

Schools will lose from €30,000 to €45,000 in funding depending on size and the programmes on offer.

We and other schools already needed a voluntary contribution to make up the shortfall in department funding during the Celtic Tiger years. Imagine how much more will be needed now to make up the shortfall. In fact it is impossible to make it up . These cuts will hurt all students and all schools. For years the Government has been talking about the knowledge economy and the importance of as many students as possible doing science. With the cut in teachers in schools, this will not be possible.

Rural schoolchildren will see their bus fares double. Career guidance for sixth years will be greatly reduced with no trips to open days because of no school cover.

I have never seen teachers so angry. I have not heard one teacher complain about the 1% levy, increases in petrol prices, etc. It is all about the effects of the cuts on our students.

In our school we are highly successful in getting students to complete the senior cycle. We have a 98% completion rate as against the 82% national average. We are successful because of the many supports we put in place, such as home/school liaison teacher, and now these are to end as well. We need to fight for these most vulnerable students. It has taken us teachers until now to realise the full implications of the cuts and how our schools will have to be run next year. Wait until parents realise how this is going to affect the quality of education on offer and the cost to their pockets.

These cuts are worse than the 1980s. TDs claimed they did not realise the effects of these cuts. Getting rid of the voting machines would pay the cost of the book rental scheme for all schools and halving the Government’s PR budget would leave in place supports for the most vulnerable students.

Are we teachers the only ones angry out there? Has Batt O’Keeffe any clue as to how schools are run in the 21st century? If he goes through with these cuts it will mean fewer students will be able to afford to go to third level, more students will leave school early with the consequent social problems and as for having a skilled workforce for the knowledge economy — dream on, Batt.

Noel Buckley

Marlfield

Clonmel

Co Tipperary