EDUCATION:PRESSURE ON the Government to reverse a series of education cuts is intensifying as teachers and school principals labelled them as "callous'' and "unworkable''.
INTO general secretary John Carr said his union had now assembled "irrefutable evidence" that over 1,000 teaching posts would be lost because of the increase in class sizes and new restrictions on language support for immigrant children.
Mr Carr said Budget provisions increasing class sizes are the "most callous, savage attack ever undertaken against primary school children in this country".
In China yesterday, Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe defended the cuts and disputed claims that 1,000 teaching posts will be lost at primary and second level. He said 200 posts would go in each sector.
He added that the Government's message to the teaching community was: "A lot of money has been put into education over the last four years in particular and we're saying to them, 'look, bear with us, it's a difficult financial situation, we know there are difficulties within the schools themselves and we're effectively saying, we're looking for your co-operation over that period'."
Meanwhile, school principals said changes to teacher substitution - due in January - are unworkable. The INTO and ASTI have said these changes could see children being sent home from school.
Last night, one school principal and long-time Fianna Fáil activist said the increase in class size underlined how the Government was out of touch.
David Woods of St Joseph's National School, Drumcollogher, Co Limerick, said his small school of 114 pupils will lose one teacher because of the Budget and it was a similar story all over the State.
"I am a cumann secretary and long-time party activist, but this disgraceful decision shows how the party is moving away from its tradition of looking after our young people."
ASTI general secretary John White said a school in Clonmel would lose four teachers, a school in Ennis would lose five and a school in Dublin would lose three. Every school will lose at least one teacher, he said.
"Before last week's Budget announcements, Ireland was languishing near the bottom of the OECD league in terms of the proportion of GDP invested in each second-level pupil and the only two countries doing worse than Ireland were Greece and the Slovak Republic.
"The Government seems intent on relegating Irish second-level pupils to the second division," said Mr White.
School principals said the new restrictions on substitution could make it impossible for schools to operate.
Clive Byrne of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals said that the decision to limit cover for uncertified school leave and for teachers on school business would present huge practical difficulties for schools.
"If the department changes are implemented, the hours which teachers contract to deliver will be completely used up within months.
"Schools may not be able to co-operate with subject inspections and whole school evaluations because insufficient cover will be available to enable subject groups of teachers meet with the inspectorate.
"Compulsory field trips and curricular visits may have to be curtailed because the level of supervision required by school insurers and under health and safety requirements that exist now will mean that boards of management will not be prepared to run the risk of lawsuits and will not permit the trips to go ahead.
"Extra curricular sports are also likely to be curtailed," Mr Byrne said.
Labour Party spokesman on education Ruairí Quinn also called on the Minister to reverse the increase in class sizes.
"We already have the highest class sizes in the EU. The Government should be trying to make them smaller, not bigger.
"If Batt O'Keeffe wants to avoid a similar reaction to the medical cards fiasco, I think he should reverse this heartless decision."
