Teaching unions slammed the government’s decision as “shameful,” accusing it of infringing on teachers’ democratic freedoms.
Teaching unions slammed the government’s decision as “shameful,” accusing it of infringing on teachers’ democratic freedoms.
The Irish Government has unveiled plans to establish minimum service levels in schools during teacher strikes, drawing strong condemnation from teaching unions.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan emphasized the necessity for such measures, citing the disruptive nature of last year’s teacher strikes, which resulted in a staggering 25 million lost days, Ireland Live reported.
Teaching unions slammed the government’s decision as “shameful,” accusing it of infringing on teachers’ democratic freedoms.
The government launched a nine-week consultation, seeking public input on issues such as priority attendance for vulnerable children, exam groups, children of critical workers, and the use of rotas for strikes lasting five days or more. The objective is to implement minimum service levels by the next academic year.
“Keeping children in school is my number one priority. Last year’s school strikes were some of the most disruptive on record for children and parents, with 25 million cumulative days lost, alongside the strike action that badly affected students in colleges and universities,” Keegan said
The announcement followed discussions between Keegan and trade unions, which, despite being described as constructive, failed to make sufficient progress in ensuring protections for children and young people.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, labeled the attempt to impose further restrictions on democratic freedoms as “shameful” and accused the government of neglecting the underlying causes of strikes in the education system.
Dr. Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, criticized the government for ignoring the neglect and underfunding of the education system, characterizing the policy as inflammatory and demonstrating contempt for teachers.
Moreover, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, accused the government of negotiating in bad faith, stating that the talks collapsed with proposals no union could agree to, demonstrating a lack of trust.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, also labeled minimum service levels as a “profoundly illiberal policy” aimed at weakening unions.
Unison general secretary Christina McAnea argued that proper pay for school workers would reduce the frequency of strikes, attributing industrial action to the government’s failure to invest in essential services and workforces.
The Joint Committee on Human Rights expressed “serious concerns” about the legislation, criticizing the government for an insufficient consultation process and failing to address compatibility issues with international law.
The strikes stem from a long-standing pay dispute, with Northern Ireland teachers having gone nearly three years without a pay increase, as per BBC report.
The pay gap between teachers in Northern Ireland and their counterparts in England, Scotland, and Wales has widened, prompting concerns and frustrations among educators.
The strike, involving five unions, is part of an 18-month-long pay dispute, with unions rejecting a pay offer in February 2022.
Teachers are demanding improved pay and conditions, with concerns raised about the exodus of educators to other regions for better opportunities.
The Department of Education acknowledged the frustration but cited budget constraints as a barrier to meeting teachers’ demands. The strikes are expected to continue with four more days of industrial action planned after Christmas.
Irish universities enrolled over 35,000 international students in the last academic year, marking a record high and accounting for nearly one in seven students, the Irish Times reported.
The 10 percent year-on-year increase, according to the Higher Education Authority, indicates a return to pre-pandemic levels of overseas student enrollment.
In the 2022-2023 academic year, international students comprised 14 percent of the student population, up from 12 percent in the previous year.
The United States remained the leading country of origin for international students, followed by India and China.
New entrants to higher education saw a nearly one percent increase, with over 1,000 additional students registering using the Leaving Cert as their entry basis.
Overall student enrollment for all modes of study was 256,785 in 2022-2023, a 2 percent decrease from the previous year.
Full-time enrollments dropped slightly, while full-time undergraduate enrollments remained stable. PhD enrollments increased by five percent over the year and 26 percent since 2016. However, enrollments in taught masters declined by five percent from the previous year but had increased during the peak of the pandemic.
Mature new entrants to higher education decreased by almost 600 in 2022-2023, potentially influenced by a robust job market. The majority of enrolled students were pursuing honors degrees (60 percent), and 11 percent were studying taught masters.
The gender gap widened, with females accounting for 55 percent of the overall student population. The most popular subject groups were business, administration, and law (20 percent), followed by health and welfare (17 percent).
In the graduating class of 2022, 85,645 students graduated, with 40 percent earning honors degrees and 23 percent completing taught masters, while almost one in four undergraduate honors degree graduates achieved first-class degrees (24 percent).
