Reaction to education cuts in the Budget

The cutting of modern languages in primary school must be one of the most short-sighted policies in the Budget. The €2.5 million that the scheme cost will not be saved but transferred to another area of the Dept and some of the teachers involved (part-timers) will end up on the dole making this cut a net cost for the Dept.

– greengreen, politics.ie

I am a very recent graduate from a masters degree. I applied for the PDE/PGDE and am confident that I will obtain a place on a course starting in Sep 2012 ... I could not be more sickened as I decided to do a masters degree last year instead of going ahead and doing the dip straight away! Because I decided to become more qualified before I began to teach, I had to pay fees for the masters in excess of €6,000 ... Only in reading this thread, I have realised that when I do get a post, I will now not receive any additional allowance for being more qualified ... Furthermore, I have a student loan to pay back for the cost of the fees of the course ... a masters degree which now has no use to me ...Thanks a million Budget 2011.

– anmhi4sam, boards.ie

As a teacher who qualified in 2010, I can’t tell you that I don’t give a damn about cuts to allowances. I care about cuts to teacher numbers, because although I have a desirable subject I haven’t been able to find work this year. I still have interviews to attend but there are always more experienced teachers looking for the same position. I would be happy to work at a vastly reduced wage, just to get the experience I need!!!

– lestat21, boards.ie

My students graduated today. Heading in to meet them for a drink. We won’t be talking about Budget 2012 because 90 per cent of the class emigrated.

– @ElaineByrne

Cuts to guidance counselling services

Such a change in guidance provision would have a devastating effect on the provision of guidance and counselling in Irish second level schools and will see guidance competing with subject areas within the general school allocation and non-timetabled counselling. This will ultimately lead to job cuts – most likely to guidance counsellors but also to general second level subject teachers.

– Humphrey Jones, morestresslesssuccess.ie

As a mother of two highly able teen students, I am not pleased with this either, in fact, my feeling is that there is too little time as it is, and too few counsellors, guidance or otherwise, in the system, especially during these stressful economic times, during which many, many kids, especially secondary, are worried and despondent about their futures

– innreach, morestresslesssuccess.ie

Cut in third level funding

Last year the Government allocated €1,177,032,000 to the sector. For 2012 the allocation is €1,119,694,000, which represents a cut of 5 per cent. This is a larger cut than that applying to education overall, at 3 per cent. Every survey conducted has found the same thing: that substantial additional money is needed to allow Irish universities to compete on an international stage. We have now been told that there will be continuing cuts over the coming three years. It has to be emphasised that this is not an environment in which Irish higher education can carry out the tasks necessary for economic and social revival.

– Ferdinand Von Prondzynski, universitydiary.wordpress.com