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16 October
Schools face cutbacks to bail out banks
Schools face cutbacks to bail out banks.
by SoftwareGuru
posted Friday 17th October 2008 09:30 GMT
Budget 2009 has passed and school cutbacks are on the way. Not since the 1980s has Ireland experienced this type of shock in the education system.
The head of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation John Carr has accused Finance Minister Brian Lenihan of stealing "the future of our primary pupils to bail out the banks".
The Government failed to see what was coming, despite pop economist David McWilliams warning us for the last 12 months via his national newspaper column against Ireland's over reliance on income generated by mortgages and the property sector in general.
The banks put nearly all of their eggs in one basket and now it appears Ireland's education sector will pay the price.
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John Carr,
General Secretary, INTO.
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 RTE Six One News asked
the tough questions.
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"Simply indefensible"
The negative effect of the cutbacks will be to reduce subject choice, restrict substitute cover, cap language-support teacher numbers and abolish certain school support grants. Post-primary transport charges are to rise also.
Both Association of Secondary Teachers general secretary John White and Teachers Union of Ireland general secretary Peter McMenamin declared the action "simply indefensible" and "unconscionable".
Brian Lenihan's response on RTE's Six One News to any criticism of the Government is that this is a global problem caused by the U.S.
The truth is that in recent years the Irish Government made no attempt to effectively regulate banking behaviour in this country.
They allowed the banks to put the entire Irish economy at risk.
For example, French banks did not rely anywhere near as heavily on the property market to create profits and as such have weathered the global economic storm much better.
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Digital Ireland: One Cut Too Many?
If the last 10 years of growth and prosperity were brought about due to reckless mortgage lending and easy credit, we must ask ourselves how we as a country intend to create new growth and prosperity in a way that isn't underpinned by greed and short-term vision.
Either Digital Ireland increases the quality and skill set of its graduates so that they are employable by Irish-based tech companies like Google, Havok and Facebook, or we have failed the next generation.
At a defining moment in our country's economic evolution, in the early hours of the 21st century, our leaders must now back the education industry when it needs safeguarding the most.
Other countries will look upon our U.S. partners here with envious eyes, anxious to provide them with nurtured talent brought up on the best education possible.
Pupils, students and graduates alike now face an even greater struggle to fulfil their potential.
At time of writing, Fianna Fáil issued a press release to give their side of the story, claiming that "strong investment" for education would be made.
Will they deliver?
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Posted by
admin
at
17:24
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Read more about Ireland's education industry and the impact of Budget 2009.