TEACHER UNIONS:THE INTO has described the education measures outlined in the Programme for Government as a "genuine attempt'' to protect primary education in a very difficult economic environment.
The ASTI and the TUI have also welcomed key features of the programme, as has the Joint Managerial Body, which represents the boards of management and school management of almost 400 secondary schools. These measures include the appointment of 500 teachers over three years, increased capitation grants for school services, the restoration of book grants and funds for various programmes including the Leaving Cert Applied at second level.
However, university presidents have reacted with dismay to the scrapping of plans for new student charges and maintain these are inevitable “sooner or later’’. All three teaching unions were in regular contact with the Green Party negotiation team over the weekend.
Irish primary schools have the second most overcrowded classrooms in the EU. The agreement provides for the staffing schedule of one teacher to 28 children to be maintained. The McCarthy report had recommended that this be increased to 29.
The deployment of the 500 additional teachers will be agreed by unions, management and the Department of Education.
The new Programme for Government also provides for a fixing of capitation grants at current levels.
The McCarthy report proposed a 10 per cent cut in this funding next year and the year after. Other grants that were cut in last October’s budget such as the free books grant will be reinstated.
The Union of Students in Ireland welcomed the move on college fees. However, a forthcoming report from a Government expert group on higher education is still expected to recommend a new system of student contribution.
Education sources say the report of the National Strategy Group for Higher Education, chaired by economist Dr Colin Hunt is certain to address the issue of student contribution in its report, due within months.
It is widely expected that the forthcoming report will back a new system of student loans, given the serious funding crisis in higher education.
UCC and UCD have cumulative debts of over €30 million while all universities are struggling financially.
Separately, DCU president, Ferdinand von Prondzynski said yesterday: “We are now facing a situation where the increasingly scarce resources will be concentrated on the wealthier sections of the population and the disadvantaged will be neglected. In addition, the sector as a whole will be asset stripped and will be unable to compete.’’
The Cabinet had been due to consider a 110-page report on new student charges prepared by Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe later this month.
But the new Programme for Government means this has now been postponed.
The report envisaged college graduates repaying a debt of at least €21,000 under a proposed loan scheme. At the time , the plan was cautiously welcomed by Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan.
While the report lists five possible options for a new system of student contributions, Mr O’Keeffe made little secret of his support for an Australian-style student loan scheme.
The €1,500 college registration fee is now likely to remain in place.
Last night, a spokesman for Mr O’Keeffe said the Minister will ask the strategy group to consider the report on the third-level student contribution in the context of the longer-term needs of the sector.
Fine Gael’s education spokesman Brian Hayes said the reintroduction of college fees was “never seriously on the political agenda and to claim credit for it now personifies the Green Party as a cynical and discredited political entity”.