Education Cutbacks will cause longterm damage
29 Oct 2008 10:19 AM
AONTAS Director Berni Brady today joined those from the education sector in criticising cutbacks in the recent budget.
'The fallout from these drastic cutbacks will not be limited to the primary and post primary level', she warned. 'By failing to invest in primary and post primary education now, we run the risk of increasing the numbers of those who drop out of school early. The adult and community education sector is often the first port of call for those who leave school early. Again the adult education sector will be picking up the tab for the government's failure to invest in tomorrow's workforce - and will have minimal resources to do so.'
Ms Brady expressed grave concern over the cutbacks directly affecting those returning to learn. The budget has seen a reduction of 500 in the number of places available on the Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) scheme, meaning that there are now only 9,000 places available on the scheme. The number of places available in Senior Traveller Training Centres has also been reduced, and there are severe cutbacks in language supports for immigrants. 'These cuts will hit the most vulnerable groups in society', she said. 'In the lead up to the last election AONTAS worked extremely hard to persuade the government to change the qualifying criteria for the Back to Education Initiative to include those on low incomes. Now five hundred people won't be able to avail of the initiative - arguably to make very little savings. The cutbacks in language supports are being introduced at a time when the Integration Unit in the Department of Education and Science is developing a new intercultural education strategy. These cutbacks will cripple the priorities that this government has already identified - those of combating disadvantage, training and upskilling and integration.'
Ms Brady was also critical of the increase in student registration fees for third level. 'As has already been pointed out by USI and other student bodies, this increase is turning into a 'fees by stealth' scenario. This will be extremely tough on mature students trying to finance their own third level education.'
'Investing in education means investing in society', she concluded. 'These immediate, shortsighted cutbacks will cost us in the longterm.'
ENDS
Note to Editor
1.The Back to Education Initiative provides part-time further education opportunities for young people and adults. The aim of BTEI is to give people who would like to return to learning the opportunity to update their skills and knowledge in a flexible way. This means that people can combine a return to learning with family and other commitments.
2.AONTAS is the National Adult Learning Organisation. AONTAS is a non-government membership organisation, established in 1969. The organisation's mission is to ensure that every adult in Ireland has access to appropriate and affordable learning opportunities throughout their lives, thus enabling them to contribute to and participate in the economic, social, civic and cultural development of Irish society. AONTAS is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. AONTAS represents over 600 members, ranging from statutory providers of adult education, such as VECs and third level institutions, to voluntary providers of community education, to individual adult learners and those with a general interest in adult education. The role of AONTAS is to work towards improving the adult education sector in Ireland through policy development, promoting the benefits of adult education and research.
