Sir, – Perhaps Thomas Ryan (December 10th) would be kind enough to suggest where I may be able to source electricity, gas, heating and motor fuel, public transport or insurance of any description at pre-2007 rates.
While grocery and clothing prices have undoubtedly stabilised, the only areas I can think of which are cheaper than four years ago are property, motors, hotel accommodation and eating out. Hardly the staples of your average social welfare recipient, or am I missing something in all the “hyperbole”? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – The decision in the Budget to remove the guidance allocation to secondary schools is both cowardly and worrying. While guidance counsellors are responsible for advising students on Career and Educational matters, it is their work in the area of personal counselling that can be most important work that they do.
Unfortunately, there are students in our secondary schools suffering with difficult and serious personal problems. For many, the only avenue for help open to them is at school. A young person at risk can be identified through the school pastoral care programme and receive help from the guidance counsellor, help that may not be as easy to access outside of school.
The threat of substance abuse, violence, self harm and suicide are very real and the cutting of the guidance allocation displays a worrying disregard for students most in need. Schools will now have to decide how to incorporate guidance provision from within existing resources. Some schools may not be able to.
This Government is now forcing schools to decide which vital services they will dispense with and which they will try to continue to provide. It is a cowardly act. Something will have to give. This Government does not seem to want to take responsibility for it and ultimately it is the most vulnerable students in our schools who will suffer. I would ask the Minister for Education to reconsider his decision. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Something which went under the radar in Budget 2012 is the scrapping of the Breaking the Cycle scheme in education. Under the scheme extra teachers were allocated to schools in areas of high socio-economic deprivation.
This move, in line with revised ratio rates, will see 292 posts abolished. Some primary schools in the inner city are set to lose two, three or four teachers. This is appalling. Education – particularly early education – is one of the few measures which can counter inter-generational poverty and improve life chances.
The move is puzzling when juxtaposed with the launch of the new literacy and numeracy strategy. How can a literacy scheme realistically be implemented in areas which need it most when teaching posts are being cut?
It is wrong that inner-city children, who rank among the most vulnerable in society should have to pay for the financial mistakes of the most powerful. This Budget decision is a damning indictment of a growing inequality in our society. – Yours, etc,