Education reform now – FF / FG squandering opportunity of a generation
Education reform now - FF / FG squandering opportunity of a generation - The Labour Party
Labour’s education Spokesperson Eoghan Kenny TD has called out Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil’s failure to address the concerns of teachers and educators across the country.
As teacher unions gather this week, Deputy Kenny said:
“Teachers have been utterly forgotten by this Government which lunges from crisis to crisis in education. Labour has long called for a suite of measures to ease the burden on school communities and improve the situation for the teachers that we rely on to educate our children.
“The key priority for this Government must be reform of special education, teachers can only do so much with the resources given to them. Earlier this year we saw the extraordinary unravelling of commitments to children with special education needs.
“It remains unanswered by this Government as to if they will take the Department on and make sure to control the controlables by adding extra teachers to classes to meet the growing level of need. No child should be without an appropriate school place.
“Similarly, class ratio remain stubbornly high in Ireland and we need to see this addressed. Last year’s budget saw no mention of tackling pupil teacher ratios, and we cannot see the same happen again. There needs to be a real ambition to see Irish classrooms as the best place in Europe to receive a quality education.
“Teachers are not immune from the extraordinary cost of living crisis. I’ve had so many contact my office relaying the real struggles they are having making ends meet – from the increase in groceries to the extra cost of fuel. Pay and conditions of our teachers, our front line for our children must be addressed by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to stave off any industrial unrest across the sector.
“All in all, teachers must be meaningfully listened to and engaged with by Government. Reforms across the system are needed, but they must be done correctly. As the party of the trade union movement, the Labour Party instinctively understands and appreciates how coming together to speak, listen and chart a way forward can be revolutionary for the world of work. Government can’t let go of the opportunity to do so now.”