May Press Releases

Green Party Education and Science spokesperson, Paul Gogarty TD, has called on the Government to reverse its decision to axe 300 concessionary teaching posts. He warned that the move would "cost millions more than it would save in the long run" because of its negative impact on our future skills base, particularly in the Science subjects.

"The Government is being extremely short sighted and regressive in its efforts to claw back money. Aside from their intrinsic value, many minority subjects offer students the opportunity to obtain work in areas they would otherwise never be qualified for. A case in point is Physics, which will be removed from the syllabus in some schools. Yet at the same time the Government is talking the talk about encouraging students to take Science subjects and investing in Science Foundation Ireland. This is another example of voodoo economics where the fractions saved now will actually impact to a greater extent when we need more highly skilled graduates to compete economically in the future."

Deputy Gogarty is calling on the Minister for Education to show his moral fibre and to resist the budget claw back and "retain the 1,000 concessionary teaching posts as a bare minimum at a time when we should be increasing investment in education".

Press Releases June 2003
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov
CUTBACK IN CONCESSIONARY TEACHERS A REGRESSIVE STEP WARNS GOGARTY
CUTBACK IN CONCESSIONARY TEACHERS A REGRESSIVE STEP WARNS GOGARTY
Green Party Education and Science spokesperson, Paul Gogarty TD, has called on the Government to reverse its decision to axe 300 concessionary teaching posts. He warned that the move would "cost millions more than it would save in the long run" because of its negative impact on our future skills base, particularly in the Science subjects. "The Government is being extremely short sighted and regressive in its efforts to claw back money. Aside from their intrinsic value, many minority subjects offer students the opportunity to obtain work in areas they would otherwise never be qualified for. A case in point is Physics, which will be removed from the syllabus in some schools. Yet at the same time the Government is talking the talk about encouraging students to take Science subjects and investing in Science Foundation Ireland. This is another example of voodoo economics where the fractions saved now will actually impact to a greater extent when we need more highly skilled graduates to compete economically in the future." Deputy Gogarty is calling on the Minister for Education to show his moral fibre and to resist the budget claw back and "retain the 1,000 concessionary teaching posts as a bare minimum at a time when we should be increasing investment in education".
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