Drastic effects of cuts on schools

The latest battleground for the Government is the schoolyard, where education spending cutbacks are coming hard on the heels of the fiasco of the over-70s medical cards. A budget which ostensively set out with the objective of protecting the weakest and most vulnerable in society from the harsh economic winds now blowing has done exactly the opposite. This issue may now prove to be even more divisive than the medical cards debacle which saw the Government cave in to pressure from the 'grey vote" and return the free medical card to 95 per cent of the over-70s. Already, parents and teachers are in virtual open revolt over the school cuts, which are set to bring about an increase in class sizes, abolition of substitute cover for teachers, a reduction in funding for special needs children, a cut in teacher numbers by about 1,000 and the axing the free books scheme, among others. These draconian cuts will have a very real effect on schools, as has been outlined elsewhere in this newspaper this week. In the secondary VEC sector in Meath alone, the cuts will mean the effective loss of 15 teachers across a number of schools, the loss of capitation funding for Travellers, a reduction in language support teachers and big increases in school transport charges. The VEC reckons it will not be able to cater to the needs of its substantially increasing enrolment if these changes are implemented. At primary school level, there is even more fury at the extent of the job losses and cutbacks in special language classes as well as things like the curtailment of sports training as a result of the unavailability of substitute teachers. Details of the cuts were made last week by individual schools to students, provoking outrage among parents and public representatives. In the Navan branch INTO area, it is estimated that up to 20 teaching jobs could be lost alone, not to mention other areas of the county, provoking what has been described a 'white fury" among teacher representatives. After years of building up our education system during times of prosperity, it would appear that the Government is setting about dismantling much of what has been achieved to date by these swingeing cuts. It is not surprising that the Irish Catholic Bishops" Commission and the Conference of the Religious of Ireland came out this week with a hard-hitting statement condemning the campaign of cutbacks for hurting the most vulnerable in society, adding that it is education that guarantees the future of the nation. In this instance, pupils who are not in DEIS disadvantaged schools will see their book grants being abolished, hitting those children whose parents least have the means to purchase textbooks. Similarly, grant allocations for Traveller children are being halved. Teachers" unions have spent the past week gradually racheting up the pressure in advance of a major protest march to the Dail today (Wednesday) which will coincide with a Labour Party motion on class sizes. With minority Government partner, The Greens, putting further pressure on a beleaguered Fianna Fail on this issue, something may have to give if the latter hopes to get the controversial Finance Bill through the Dail, despite Education Minister Batt O"Keeffe"s insistence that the decisions taken on budget day must stand. One possible scenario is a watered-down education budget where some of the harshest cuts are rowed back upon. The Greens clearly believe that the issue of the pupil-teacher ratio and larger class sizes need to be re-thought and the savings found elsewhere. After the loss of Fianna Fail TD Joe Behan"s support and independent TD Finian McGrath having withdrawn his, the Government cannot afford for the Greens to walk over this issue. It is a moment of truth for both parties - will Fianna Fail do another u-turn and will the Greens come of age and force further changes to an unpopular budget already beset by multiple difficulties?