Disadvantaged schools cuts - mean and nasty :-( :-(

national | education | news report Thursday December 15, 2011 11:15 by Pól Ó Cionsalígh paulbkinsella at gmail dot com An Chúlóg, Báile Átha Cliath 17 0851478100

Fight this disgraceful cut tooth and nail!

One of the most disgusting and sick cuts in the Budget is the cuts to disadvantaged schools :-( Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn has told the principals of disadvantaged Primary schools that the government will press ahead with plans to cut hundreds of teaching posts in their schools. Absolutely appalling!

The measures include the abolition of more than 400 disadvantaged teacher posts the government says belong to programmes that have been superseded. Disadvantaged schools are also set to lose resource and language teachers over and above what ordinary schools will lose.  Minister Quinn has promised limited alleviation measures for the worst-affected schools. But how can we trust any promises from the Government given they've already broken most of their election promises? Anyway I agree with the School Principals who say this amounts to being told to go "cap in hand" for help. And to make matters worse the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) say many of these teachers will be transferred to schools in better-off areas :-( Principals in disadvantaged or DEIS primary schools are rightly furious at budget cuts they say will affect only their pupils and not the better off schools. The Department of Education says 428 so-called legacy posts in DEIS schools are being abolished in order to ensure fairness in the distribution of resources. But DEIS schools say these teaching positions are vital if young children in disadvantaged areas are to be given a fair chance. This is a disgrace! And another of the Budget cuts that will explosively backfire in the Government's face in the New Year. We have to fight and resist this sick attack on the weakest in our society like the way we will with the rest of the cuts.