Irish Vocational Education Association

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IVEA Seeks Alleviation of the Significant Contraction in Education Funding of Recent Years
29 November 2011
The Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA) is calling on the Minister for Education and Skills, in his considerations for the 2012 education budget, to underpin the future of Irish education by making a commitment to alleviate the significant impact the reduction in teaching resources of the past few years has had on schools.
IVEA General Secretary Michael Moriarty states,
"The contraction of education funding has been an on-going process for the past few years and many VEC schools are in crisis, particularly those smaller schools which serve local communities throughout Ireland. IVEA is calling on the Minister, in his 2012 budget deliberations:
  1. Not to further increase the pupil-teacher ratio in schools: further cuts will do irretrievable damage to the educational experience and achievements of many thousands of young people;
  2. To consider that any further staffing and resource reductions will make it increasingly difficult for schools to maintain a full range of curriculum options;
  3. To make special concessions in teacher allocations to smaller schools that offer open access to educational opportunities across all sectors of their local community;
  4. To establish a framework whereby a minimum threshold of staffing allocation is made to schools to enable them meet the learning needs and aspirations of their students;
  5. To ensure that the strategies to address educational disadvantage do not in fact incentivise failure, by safeguarding critical supports for schools striving to make improvements."
"Education remains a vital tool for the re-generation of the Irish economy. A generation's life chances depend on the quality of the education in our schools, which is under serious threat," says Mr Moriarty. "IVEA hopes that the Minister will take our call into regard as he concludes the education budget for 2012."
The Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA) is the representative body for the 33 Vocational Educational Committees (VECs) in Ireland, and works to protect, promote and enhance the interests of vocational education and training within the wider education sector and the country at large.
VECs deliver a wide range of educational services, from managing Community National Schools, second-level schools and colleges, Post Leaving Certificate colleges (PLCs) and education centres to providing training programmes for Travellers, adult literacy courses, prisoner education services, Youthreach programmes, Vocational Training Opportunities Schemes, and community education programmes.
VEC PLCs have developed a range of programmes and courses in response to the needs of industry and commerce which are certified by FETAC at levels 3 to 6, and by the professional bodies which set standards for entry into the professions.
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