Savage cuts 'set education back by 50 years'
THE Government's savage round of school budget cutbacks has thrown Irish education back to the standards of the 1950s, teachers claimed yesterday.
A Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) study says that families face devastating hikes in education costs for their children of between €1,032 and €1,750 per family.
The study also indicated that a school of 400 students will lose between €17,000 and €20,000 per annum because of the withdrawal of grant aid.
In contrast, the same school will only gain around €4,500 from the Government's proposed increase in the student capitation grant.
The study was conducted by TUI research officer Bernie Judge and suggested that the cutbacks will have a massive impact on families.
Problems range from greater pupil-teacher ratios and reduced school budgets, to restricted education supports and substantially higher costs.
Privileged
"These cuts have thrown education back 50 years to when only the privileged could enjoy fair and easy access and be confident of opportunities to complete second-level education and progression to third level," she said. "The price paid by some young people will be with them for a long time -- in some instances forever," she added.
The TUI said its study underlined the fact that education would be damaged by financial cutbacks. It added that the sector's ability to support job creation was compromised.
"Low education achievement at a young age reduces participation in adult education. It will lead to higher costs for the State as adult education measures try to compensate for what schools were not resourced to deliver -- a strong education to young people."
The TUI official described the cutbacks as "unfair and cowardly" and claimed they targeted the very families least able to afford the additional cost burden.
- Ralph Riegel
