Fianna Fáil TDs must do the right thing by our Donegal school children
Published: 18 November, 2008
Fianna Fáil TDs must do the right thing by our Donegal school children
Letterkenny Sinn Fein Councillor Gerry Mc Monagle has reiterated his calls on the Fianna Fail and Green Party councillors on Letterkenny Town Council to lobby their respective TDs to vote against the Finance Bill when it comes in front of the Dail for adoption. This Bill carry's with it some of the most savage cuts that this country has ever seen especially those in relation to education.
Cllr Mc Monagle was speaking after Monday nights Town Council meeting where he gained the support of the council in calling on the Government to reverse the savage cuts in education.
Cllr Mc Monagle said,"
"The extent of the education cuts is now only impacting on the teachers, parents and pupils of our schools. Panic and anger is widespread throughout many schools with Principals left in an unenvious position of trying to deliver a quality education to their pupils with depleted resources. Take for instance Loreto Convent in Letterkenny who will suffer immensely, if these savage cuts are allowed to go through they will lose at least three teachers immediately with more to follow based on the increase of the Pupil Teacher Ratio
The decision by this Government to increase class sizes at both primary and secondary level will result in many schools losing teachers some as many as three. In addition changes in allocation of teachers for programmes such as Leaving Certificate Applied and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme will result in further losses of teachers.
As a result of losing three of its teachers Loreto Convent will be forced to restrict subject options for pupils in their senior years and even some subjects will have to be removed altogether. Thus making it nigh impossible to provide separate classes for higher and ordinary level students. All of this will result in higher-class sizes.
This budget introduced many other savage cuts in relation to education. The proposal to remove the School Book Grant Scheme means that schools will be unable to give any assistance to students or their families towards the cost of schoolbooks from next summer on. This is just another example of this Government attacking those most vulnerable in our society and will do nothing to ensure that our most vulnerable young people remain in school.
Loreto is not the only school in Letterkenny to suffer, replies that I have received from several primary schools in the town in response to a questionnaire that I circulated clearly spelt out the effect these savage cuts will have on teachers being unable to deliver a quality education to our children.
A clear example of these cuts can be seen at Errigal College on the Kilmacrennan Rd, a school that caters for a large number of non- Irish nationals. and the prospect of only having two language support teachers is unacceptable. It's quite obvious that the needs of these students will not be met as a result of the Government cutting the number of language support teachers available to the school Once more class sizes will be increased. Many parents are only now becoming aware that
School transport and examination fees are to significantly increase as a result of this budget, increases that are adding to the increasing demands on parents who are already at breaking point. The reduction in the Traveller grant once again hits those who are in much need of support for their children' s education. Since this grant was introduced more traveller children are staying on at school completing their junior and leaving certs and getting the qualifications they need to get meaningful employment.
The ending of substitution cover for teachers from January 2009 will have a major knock on effect on extra school activities like school trips, soccer or GAA, school competitions will all have to be cancelled because there will be no cover. These are just the tips of this particular savage cuts iceberg and already we are being warned of more to come.
To save us from further education cuts and a reversal of the ones I have outlined we must keep the pressure on the Government Parties elected representatives I am calling on the Fianna Fail and Green Party councillors who supported my motion on Monday night to reverse these cuts, bring their influence to bear on our Government TDs here in Donegal.
Although each and everyone of them have supported and for these cuts in the Dail' I believe that local councillors along with the public in Donegal must grasp this opportunity and convince our TDs to do the right thing and vote against the Finance Bill when it comes before the Dail in the coming weeks.
Brian Lenihan the Minister for Finance has asked people to be patriotic in relation to this budget. I firmly believe that Patriotism begins at home and the Patriotic thing for TDs to do now is to vote against these savage cuts before they are implemented. It is time for these TDs to get off the fence and live up to the promises that they made to the electorate only last year when they stated there would be no increases in class sizes.
Our young people are our most precious assets. If we as a nation are to compete in the 21st century with the rest of the world then we need to have a knowledge-based economy. For our children to succeed they must have every opportunity open to them. We cannot treat our children differently, all of them must have the same chance of making it in this technology driven world. To do this they must all be given an equal opportunity to develop their education. There is never the wrong time for our Government TDs to do the right thing. The right thing to do is to reverse these proposed savage cuts now!!!
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