O'Keeffe rebukes 'emotive, divisive' teacher unions
Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe has this weekend strongly defended the Budget education cuts, telling thousands of teachers and parents to get real and that he had no choice.
The minister, speaking exclusively to the Sunday Independent, said he understands their desire to protest at the cuts, but he said they are totally unrealistic to think they would remain unaffected by budget cutbacks.
He was speaking as several thousand people took to the streets of Donegal yesterday in the latest major weekend protest at the cuts which will see at least 400 teaching posts lost. Mr O'Keeffe didn't hold back while defending his position saying the short-term pain will safeguard the interests of Irish children in the long run.
"I do not want to see teachers on the streets with placards. But, it is simply not realistic that education could be completely exempted from any spending restrictions in the current economic climate. We have to be realistic about what the country can afford," he said.
He also made a savage attack on the teachers' unions accusing them of deliberately using emotive and divisive language which is creating fear and unrest among parents. "To some union leaders, who claim to represent teachers' interests, I say this: I am asking you to refrain from scaremongering and from using emotive language that seeks to divide rather than unite us in our common objective of returning Ireland to economic prosperity."
Despite the very cold conditions, teachers, parents and students marched on Donegal town yesterday, in the fourth protest of its kind since budget day. Next Saturday, a national protest is to be held in Dublin and early indications suggest that more than 30,000 people may attend.
"The education cutbacks announced in the Budget are the most drastic for 20 years. They will damage the education service at every level. Parents, teachers and managerial groups have united in opposition to the cutbacks and will be jointly organising this march and demonstration," the unions have said.
Responding to yesterday's march, Mr O'Keeffe said protests are not the answer and called on the unions to engage with him to achieve progress. "I understand they are disappointed by some of these decisions, but we must act collectively to secure Ireland's prosperity."
The Government is also unhappy that principals and teachers are using school facilities to organise their campaigns. The Sunday Independent has received letters sent to parents from schools all over the country informing them about the protest next week. Many of the schools have also taken to asking parents for extra money, €500 per child in some instances, to meet their financial shortfalls.
At least one northside Dublin school has taken to naming and shaming parents who do not contribute to a fund to replace an existing prefab building with a permanent structure.
Mr O'Keeffe has also been called "clueless" by his Fine Gael opposite number Brian Hayes, over his refusal to increase the third level maintenance grant or the income thresholds for next year, which he said will mean fewer poorer students going to college.
Mr Hayes said: "The Minister for Education is clueless when it comes to encouraging students from poorer backgrounds to go and stay in college. The impact of not increasing maintenance payments and refusing to increase income thresholds next year, means that fewer students will be able to go to college."
- Chief Reporter
