Cutbacks to cost vocational schools 260 teachers

THE budget cutbacks in education will cost vocational schools alone more than 260 teachers and a further 150 jobs could be lost in further education colleges, according to managers. A survey of the budget's impact on the 33 Vocational Education Committees (VECs) found they expect about 180 teachers to be lost from their 247 second-level schools as a result of changes in staffing schedules from next September.

Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe announced last month that second-level schools would be given a teacher for every 19 pupils next year, instead of the current allocation of one for each 18 students.

The VECs estimate a further 88 posts will be lost due to a cap of two language support teachers for every school and the withdrawal of extra teaching jobs for some schools previously classified as disadvantaged. The Department of Education has said exceptions to the language-support cap will be made for some schools with high numbers of students whose first language is not English but it has not yet decided the numbers needed to qualify.

The Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA), the VECs' representative body, carried out the survey and also found that a further 157 teachers will be lost on further education and post-leaving certificate courses. It estimates that various grants worth about €2.8 million will be lost to second-level schools, or an average of more than €11,000 per school, due to the cutbacks, despite increases in day-to-day funding from the department next year.

IVEA general secretary Michael Moriarty said the job losses have been calculated based on current student numbers, the same as those which will be used by the Department of Education to determine staffing levels for schools and colleges from next autumn.

"We are still vigorously opposed to any cuts but at the same time, VECs have to plan ahead on the basis that they might go ahead," he said.

"The real impact will be seen in January, when substitution cover is withdrawn for teachers absent on school business or uncertified sick leave. VECs have already been told to cut their pay budgets by 3% so they can't afford to pay substitutes themselves," said Mr Moriarty.

The withdrawal of paid substitution for uncertified sick leave will also apply to primary schools from January, but school managers have warned that the plan has not been properly thought out by Mr O'Keeffe and his officials.

In an article for today's Irish Examiner, Educate Together chief executive Paul Rowe argues that, instead of saving money, it could increase public spending because teachers - who might not otherwise have attended their doctor - could be certified as being sick for up to five days at a time if they have to go to the doctor to allow their school to receive payment for a substitute.

"The result of this measure will be that the cost of certified sick leave will increase and will prove more expensive than the present scheme," he said.