Pupils suffering from cutbacks

A
NEW survey of disadvantaged Northside schools has found sharp increases in
discipline problems, a rise in attendance issues and dramatic cuts in help for
children with special needs.

The
survey of school principals carried out by the North Dublin branch of the Irish
National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) also reveals that 20 local schools have
lost a total of 59 teachers over the past three years, with 16 of them taken
from special needs pupils.

A
total of 27 teachers were taken from Traveller children in 18 schools and 74
per cent of principals have reported an increase in the challenges facing
Traveller children, with another 16 per cent predicting issues arising in the
near future.

According
to the survey, the cutbacks are having a devastating impact on pupils with
special needs. Nine out of 10 principals say they’ve already witnessed
increased challenges for children with special education needs in their
schools, while the other 10 per cent are predicting challenges ahead.

In
the survey, 70 per cent of the principals stated monetary cutbacks imposed to
date had affected their ability to cater for students and many expect
conditions in disadvantaged schools to get worse.

Some
45 per cent say discipline issues will rise and a further 30 per cent expect
more problems in the future. Thirty per cent also report rising attendance
issues with another 30 per cent predicting the problem to increase.

All
the schools surveyed are designated as DEIS, (Delivering Equality of
Opportunity in Schools). The initiative was originally designed to ensure that
the most disadvantaged schools benefited from a comprehensive package of
supports.

INTO
say that DEIS has significantly increased literacy and numeracy levels in
disadvantaged areas and has proven to be a success in terms of pupil retention
in schools as well as incorporating Travellers into mainstream education for
longer periods.

However,
the union warns that if current trends highlighted in the survey continue, the
cost to the State will be felt for many years into the future.

“Children
from areas of socio-economic disadvantage must be given the opportunities to
participate fully in the education system,

? an INTO spokesperson said.

“Cutbacks
are already threatening their already limited choices. In order to avoid any
future fallout at the ballot box, political decisions have been made which
attack the most vulnerable minorities in our society.

“Accordingly,
the potential for these children to turn to truancy and crime is increasing.

“Unfortunately,
history shows that these children are then more likely to enter the judicial
system earlier and end up spending time in our prisons.

?

With
more cutbacks in education expected in the upcoming budget, INTO are demanding
a protection for DEIS and its associated grants and allowances.

The
union is also calling for a guarantee that no further cutbacks will be imposed
on DEIS schools and for a restoration of management systems to pre-austerity
levels.

Sinn
Féin’s by-election candidate in Dublin West, Paul Donnelly, said the report
confirms that education cuts are impacting severely on the most disadvantaged
students.

“I
have been receiving anecdotal evidence while canvassing that parents are
finding it more and more difficult to access educational supports for their
children,

? he said.

“Special
needs assistants, speech and language and occupational therapists along with
educational psychologists are vital in ensuring that a student who has some
difficulties gets a chance to attain the best possible education available to
them.

“These
vital services are becoming more and more scarce and difficult to attain.

“However
we now have a survey from the INTO Dublin North Branch that shows that along
with the savage cuts to special education services, cuts to teachers has had a
huge impact on attendance and behavioural issues.

“As
someone who works at the coalface of education, I see every day the positive
impact investment in education has on students. If we are to really become a
knowledge based economy then investment in all our children’s education must be
ring-fenced.

?