ASTI - Ireland's main second level teachers union

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Any further cuts to staffing resources in second-level schools will severely threaten the future life chances of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils, an ASTI conference for principals and deputy principals heard today.

ASTI General Secretary Pat King said that as educational leaders, principals and deputy principals of second-level schools must make no apology for opposing further education cuts.

“Schools are rooted in their communities, and teachers are well-placed to appreciate the extent of Ireland’s recession. Principals and their staffs want to contribute to economic recovery through their work. Many schools are working hard to find creative and innovative ways to improve the educational experiences of young people despite having less resources. However, it is a fact that the education cuts have had a serious negative impact on schools. Schools are struggling to deliver a quality education for all students and further cuts will be the last straw for many schools. This is why we must make no apology for insisting that schools are protected from further cutbacks.”

Mr King said any debate on the funding of schools must acknowledge that schools were already operating on a shoe string before the economic crisis. “Throughout the Celtic Tiger era, Ireland continued to languish at the bottom of OECD league tables for investment in second-level education as a proportion of GDP. This is the context in which the education cuts were implemented.”

School principal John O’Donovan, Chair of the ASTI Principals’ and Deputy Principals’ Committee, told the conference that education cuts impact disproportionally on the most vulnerable and disadvantaged students. “One of the effects of the recent education cuts is that classes are larger than ever before. Students with special educational needs and international students need one-to-one interaction with their teachers and this is severely compromised when you have 25 or 30 plus adolescents in a class.”

Approximately 200 principals and deputy principals of second level schools are attending today’s conference in Athlone.

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