There's no logic to abolishing VECs for just €3m of savings, says
MICHAEL MORIARTY
VECs ARE at the heart of the local community. “An Bord Snip” recommended a reduction of VECs from 33 to 22 and of local authorities from 34 to 22 while VECs and local authorities would continue to share traditional catchment areas.
But, while it seems that local authority structures will remain untouched, the Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe appears committed to aggregating VECs and reducing their number significantly. For the first time in the history of this State, the VEC structure is to be severed from the local authority network. This significant fact, if it transpires, has not got the focus it deserves.
The Minister says he is seeking the aggregation of VECs to achieve operational economies on the basis of “critical mass”. He also indicated that additional functions may be allocated to VECs and that a shared services operational model should be fostered.
Over the past year, VECs have adopted the lead agency and shared services principle of operation, in which certain VECs now co-ordinate services on behalf of others. This is being rolled out through the VEC network, to include central purchasing and procurement. The VECs are collaborating closely, sharing best practice and achieving economies of scale.
Current economic difficulties mean there is a focus on efficiencies. But there can also be a one-dimensional focus on costs and not benefits.
In recent years, local communities have been stripped of many community assets and the recommendation to abolish some VECs can be seen as a continuation of that trend. VECs connect State services to people in their home areas all over Ireland. VECs are embedded in local communities. With their governing committees of elected local authority members, parents, teachers and community representatives, VECs have a close relationship with, and accountability to, the community.
VECs are as identified with their counties as their GAA teams. Their involvement in so many facets of a county’s social, educational, cultural and sporting life would not be possible in the larger multi-county entities proposed by the Minister.
To understand the role and raison d'êtreof local VECs, one must understand the work they do in providing vital training programmes and educational supports addressing the needs of local communities within each county administrative area.
The danger in amalgamating VECs into larger multi-county entities is that their local dimension and responsiveness is severely diminished. Bigger may not always be better and lessons must be learned from the health sector, where amalgamations have produced neither savings nor better services.
VECs have always adapted to change; they are now broadly based local education authorities, managing almost 250 second-level schools, 350 centres of education and an array of educational and training programmes – many of them targeting disadvantage.
The local connectedness of VECs and their capacity to respond quickly and flexibly to both national and local priorities are even more relevant now, as thousands of unemployed seek to re-train and upskill. While accessibility and locally delivered educational services are now critically needed, there seems to be little logic in abolishing a significant number of the 33 VECs to realise just €3 million of savings. The strength of VECs is their identification with local communities, and those charged with directing the future of Irish education should remain mindful of that. They might also look at best practice elsewhere. Norway, for example, delivers much of its education and training through local education bodies and local municipalities. The adage “think globally and act locally” is Norway’s philosophy and is relevant to the work of VECs in Ireland.
Michael Moriarty is general secretary of the Irish Vocational Education Association
