Fianna Fail to oppose establishment of 10 regional education boards

FIANNA FAIL is to oppose the establishment of 10 regional education boards as proposed in the White Paper on Education.

The party's education spokesman, Mr Micheiil Martin, said the Government should take account of the experience with the health boards when huge costs followed their establishment. The same could happen with education boards.

Opening a debate in private members' time, Mr Martin said the vocational education committee system should be modernised and forums on education established in each county to ensure a co-ordinated use of resources.

The White Paper proposed that the new education boards would channel Exchequer funding to the VECs and would have a co-ordinating role in regard to publicly funded youth and sport activities. "All of these activities currently are administered and operated by the vocational education committees to a very high standard," he said.

There was no indication of how many public representatives would be involved in the boards, but it was clear their numbers would be reduced and the powers of the VECs would be reduced.

There were heavy demands on the education system for pupils with disabilities, remedial teachers, a more effective school transport system and for the refurbishment of school buildings. "We in Fianna Fail believe that available resources should be directed towards the children in the schools, towards teachers and the schools generally."

Every day judges in the courts complained they could not put away offenders because there was nowhere for them to go. Meanwhile there were genuine fears that the costs involved in the establishment of 10 regional education boards could be very significant indeed.

The Minister for Education, Ms Breathnach, said the Department was overwhelmed with the day to day business of the education system which had more than a million students and teachers. "We need a structure that is responsive to the needs of the regions."

The structure should be representative of community interests and not remote from them. "We need to devolve co-ordination and administrative functions out from Marlborough Street into the regions, where they belong. And we need to empower our schools to act as resources of learning for their community."

There must also be greater accountability for the efficient expenditure of resources, and new arrangements were required to ensure that. The appropriate role for the Department was to focus on policy development issues. The existing centralised administrative arrangements could not continue. The Minister rejected the notion that the education boards would be a completely new area of expenditure over and above present levels. "Instead, there will be a reallocation of funding and administrative responsibilities within the education system. In this process, resources will be freed from some areas to help off set resource needs in other areas."

She also rejected claims that the VECs would be eliminated. They would remain as statutory committees with substantial local involvement and responsibility for schools, employment of staff, appointment of school boards of management and a variety of education functions.

Ms Mary Coughlan (FF, Donegal South West) said if the Minister insisted on establishing these boards "then immediately on our return to government we will abolish them and return the educational resources to where they are really needed". The issue here was bureaucracy versus democracy. The last thing the system needed was another layer of bureaucracy. The whole sector needed more funding and assistance. "There is no sound educational reason for the establishment of these boards."

Debate on the motion continues next week.