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22 December
Job Losses Continue Around Ireland
Tactical Blunder During Important Education Protest Campaign.
by SoftwareGuru
Monday 22nd December 2008
Let's get right to it. Are the teachers and concerned parents of Ireland right to protest the education cuts? Absolutely.
Were they right to protest outside of the Education Minister's house a few days before Christmas while many other Irish workers are being told they no longer have a job? Absolutely not.
With so many Irish employees being made redundant in the run up to Christmas or facing the likelihood of redundancy in the New Year, it is a tactical blunder of immense proportions for anyone protesting education cuts to put pressure on the Government at this particular time.
Timing is everything.
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Irish Businesses Suffering.
Education cuts, while an important issue, are too far down the Government's priority list right now - and rightly so - for action to be taken at present.
The current fall in the value of Sterling along with the UK VAT decrease, has resulted in many Irish shoppers crossing the border into Northern Ireland in the search of Christmas bargains.
This is more bad news for Irish retailers.
Meanwhile, the recapitalisation of Irish banks continues as financial advisor Eddie Hobbs reveals on The Late Late Show that the banking crisis was so severe that we as a country were "days, perhaps even hours" away from going to an ATM machine and being told that no money was available.
That does not absolve the Irish Government for going after soft targets in the budget, it does not excuse the recklessness of those in charge of our banks (who are still in charge!), but it does mean a reality check in terms of the country's priorities.
The focus on education should come forcefully when the time is right.
Maybe that requires the heads of the education sector to think more like politicians than teachers but that is exactly what is required.
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Using The Ballot Box.
If choosing the right moment to hammer home the need to re-evaluate the education industry in Ireland passes us by, there still remains the ballot box to voice our concerns.
America has showed us that real change is possible if people are motivated enough to go out and vote for it.
Together we can improve Irish education.
We are lucky in Ireland to have dedicated, talented teachers who are preparing the next generation for a highly competitive future.
Let's hope our leaders can see fit to acknowledge this and re-evaluate the soft targets the budget has in its sights for 2009 when the country is in a more stable condition. |
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Posted by
BlogEditor
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17:05
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