The Government Need To Think Carefully
- Details
- Category: The Vice-President/Education Officer’s Blog – Noel
- Published on Friday, 11 November 2011 09:15
It has been quite a while since I posted anything but I've now found a spare minute to write something, while listening to the sounds of Declan O'Rourke.
What a mental few weeks it has been as well. We've had everything from a Halloween Ball, Graduation, Mary I Factor and a ministerial visit, with another on the way on Monday (Nov 14th).
I couldn't really overlook the fact that there the National Student March is taking place this Wednesday in Dublin. The reason for the march is so that the student voice is heard and that the Government don't introduce fees and reduce the grant further.
It's a shame that the Government can't see that education is what will bring this country back to what it once was and attract more foreign investment as well build on what we already have. More importantly, it will help stem the brain drain that is taking place at the moment.
The amount of people who graduated alongside me and that have since left for Australia, America, Abu Dabi and so is scary. Of those that are still in Ireland, a lot of them can't find work. There are no jobs for these intelligent minds here so they leave or are forced to go on the dole to survive. It is mirroring the 80s when young people left Ireland in their droves and many didn't return.
We need to invest more in education, not cut it or make it difficult for people to access it by increasing the Student Contribution fee or possibly introducing fees.
It just doesn't make sense when you see that the Government are cutting a further 2,000 odd teaching posts. This will have a huge knock on how well children learn. It also, obviously, has a huge effect on the job prospects of Mary I graduates, as well as those in Pats, CICE, Marino, Froebel and Hibernia.
I'm not saying I have the solutions and I do acknowledge that the Government do have to make some tough decisions but they also need to think carefully and then think some more before they cut the edcuation budget. Invest in educaiton and don't deny the young people of Ireland the right to a decent future in Ireland.
Until next time,
Noel