I entered politics in 2004 in an attempt to protect the most vulnerable in our society, most particularly in the education system. At that time there was so much money swishing around in the Government coffers and my mission was to redirect such excess funds to those who needed that investment most, to empower our youth to improve their circumstances.
Now we live in a completely different Ireland and there is obviously little opportunity of the Government tackling such educational disadvantage – but I honestly didn’t believe that it would actually attempt to make things worse!
The recent decision by the Minister for Education Batt O’Keefe to target children with learning disabilities in our schools by cutting special teacher support is reprehensible. Like the other cuts in recent months, this will save paltry sums of money yet will be devastating to the children it attacks. Of course for so many children this will not be a temporary setback, it will be an effective life sentence as the extra support they require is needed now and cannot wait.
The Government cannot claim that its guiding principle throughout this economic downturn is fairness; this decision is as far from fairness as it’s possible to be. Targeting children with learning disabilities is not fair and is a wrong decision that will deny children a chance to develop to their full potential.
Ending vital services for these children is inexplicable, but denying them the opportunity to flourish in school is unforgivable. I fail to see how the cutbacks for children with learning disabilities are fair. It is simply wrong to deny children a chance to be everything they can be –the goal of our education system.
I am particularly outraged that there has not even been an attempt to exempt designated disadvantaged schools from this cutback. Disadvantaged schools are indeed to be affected, including one in an area already devastated by the collapse of a public-private partnership housing re-development where most of the children in this school live. These schools already face severe difficulties in providing education in extremely disadvantaged areas, and the cuts are totally inexplicable in this context.
The Government has a poor track record in education. Our schools are under-funded, the physical infrastructure is crumbling and outdated, our teachers are overstretched and there is clearly no commitment to helping those children who need the most help.
In trying to make education a political priority I stood for election in 2004. In doing so it’s been a constant battle to persuade politicians, media commentators and voters that we must prioritise education and particularly the issue of educational disadvantage.
It is clear that I have much work yet to do. It is also clear that in an effort to tackle a fiscal hole caused by the rich, the poor are being asked to plug it. I hope that Minister O’Keefe and his advisors can sleep at night knowing what they are doing to our children with special educational needs.
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin is a primary school principal in the Sheriff Street area of Dublin, a member of the Labour Party, and formerly Dublin’s Deputy Lord Mayor. His column appears every week in Metro Éireann
