Education funding - Hard choices will define our future

THIS should be an exciting time of the year in education. Students face new experiences and teachers, hopefully, return to work re-energised and enthusiastic about the challenges ahead.

Sadly, like every other ambition held dear by this society, delusional Government and the consequential economic crisis have limited our capacity to deliver the kind of education we should be able to offer every young person in this country.

School managers and teaching unions have said that 2,000 jobs will be lost in primary and secondary schools as cutbacks take effect. Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe has revised upwards his estimates accepting that over 1,000 jobs could go over a longer period. Yet more jobs may be lost in third-level colleges.