by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent
CONCERNS have been expressed about the loss of
teachers at Inishowen schools as the ramifications
of last week’s Budget continue to be felt.
Albert Doherty, secretary of the Moville/Carndonagh
branch of the Irish National Teachers Organisation,
said that up to a dozen teaching posts are in danger
at six schools in the Carn, Moville and Malin areas.
“The DEIS scheme for disadvantaged schools has been
severely hit, and indeed band 2 has been wiped out
altogether,” Mr Doherty said.
“The Government has stopped accounting for
disadvantage, but it still exists here.
“Teachers aren’t here to change disadvantage, we are
only here to cater for children in disadvantaged
areas. It’s up to the Government to address
disadvantage and bring people out of it.”
St Patrick’s Girl’s National School could lose up to
five posts, 2-3 posts at St Patrick’s Boy’s National
School, two at Scoil Cholmcille at Ballymena, Malin,
and one at Gaelscoil Cois Feabhail in Moville.
Teachers posts will be cut in those schools for the
2012/13 school year. While concerns for the school
year 2013/14 have been expressed for one post at
Scoil Treasa Naofa in Malin Town and one at Donagh
NS.
Local TDs have also criticised the measures, which
will see pupil-teacher ratios increase.
“Fine Gael and Labour have targeted disadvantaged
schools for cuts to teacher numbers from next year,”
Fianna Fáil’s Charlie McConalogue said. “This is yet
another example of their Budget hitting the most
vulnerable groups the hardest, while those on higher
salaries escape the bulk of the cutbacks.
“Schools in disadvantaged areas face the greatest
challenges and can least afford cuts to their
staffing levels and services. The cuts announced in
Budget will result in larger class sizes in most
disadvantaged schools and will have a direct impact
on the students who are the most vulnerable in our
education system.
Sinn Féin’s Pádraig Mac Lochlainn was scathing about
the proposed cut.
“The Labour Party once vowed to break the cycle of
educational disadvantage created by successive
Fianna Fáil led government’s yet Minister Quinn’s
decision to savage DEIS teaching supports will
copper fasten inequality of opportunity for our most
deprived kids.
“Individual DEIS schools in Donegal will lose up to
as many as five teachers. It is completely
unacceptable that a county suffering harsh economic
and social deprivation would be targeted for such an
insidious cut by this Government.
“Withdrawing teaching posts under the banner of
enhanced educational opportunity is perverse and a
claim that no Government should stand over.” |
