Education policies 'a disgrace', says Labour

THE GOVERNMENT’S handling of the education system has been described as “woefully inadequate” by members of the youth wing of the Labour Party.

Cutbacks in language services and special-needs assistants, failure to reduce pupil-teacher ratios and the potential reintroduction of third-level fees are a “national disgrace”, Labour Youth chairman Gary Honer said yesterday.

Mr Honer said thousands of students who received their CAO results yesterday were faced with an uncertain future because of “the mess that is the grant system” and the potential return of third-level fees.

“This Government’s attitude towards students is farcical,” he said. “It’s time that Minister [for Education] Batt O’Keeffe and his colleagues in Government were shown the door as their continued failures in office will only lead to further difficulties for all of us.”

Meanwhile, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has intensified its campaign against the potential reintroduction of third-level fees, graduate taxes or a deferred loan system to cover the cost of higher education.

It has called on people across the country to lobby their local TDs to reject any reintroduction of college fees, including the implementation of a deferred-loan system or a graduate tax.

Mr O’Keeffe has put forward a series of proposals on third-level charges to his fellow Cabinet members and a clearer picture of the Government’s preferred option is expected to emerge next month.