Stand Up for Education calls for lift on Artificially Imposed Cap on Post Leaving Cert (PLC) Places
25 Feb 2010
Stand Up for Education has called for a lift on the artificially imposed cap on places on Post Leaving Cert (PLC) courses to help upskill young people and adults for employment.
The campaign which brings together teachers, parents and other civil society groups made its call in a presentation to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education today.
Stand Up for Education Spokesperson Jackie O'Callaghan (Secretary, National Parents Association for Vocational Schools and Community Colleges) said:
"PLC courses are a very cost effective way of up-skilling the population and the current restriction on places makes no economic, social or educational sense. In economic terms, the cost of the extra resources necessary to take on new students would be greatly offset by savings otherwise payable in the form of Jobseeker's Allowance.
"Programmes provide students with specific vocational skills which enhance their prospects of securing employment or progressing on to further studies.
"All economic commentators agree that the nation requires a highly skilled and well educated workforce to take on the challenges of new opportunities as soon as the green shoots of economic recovery appear. PLC courses can evolve quickly to suit the needs of the local community and as such are of an absolutely vital importance going forward."
Research carried out by Stand Up for Education member the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) in 2009 found that on average there were two applicants for every PLC place with 60,000 applications for just over 30,000 places.
The TUI consulted with colleges of Further Education across the country. Trends are the same in every province and in every town and city. Whether it is Cavan, Cork, Dublin, Dun Laoghaire, Drogheda, Limerick, Sligo or Galway, colleges have long waiting lists of applicants who now have little hope of obtaining a place on a PLC course.
Ms O'Callaghan continued: "Many Principals could have commenced additional courses in September for PLC students on waiting lists if they were given the teaching resources to do so. All that is required is the additional teaching allocation.
"Additional PLC places would solve many of the pressing needs various Government Departments including Education and Science, Social and Family Affairs and Enterprise Trade and Employment. We urgently request that the go ahead is now given to sanction additional PLC places in colleges which have the space to accommodate additional students."
Education to be 7% of GDP by 2016
The campaign also called for government and opposition political parties to commit to a target level of investment in education of 7% of GDP by 2016.
"Education spending in Ireland is low by any acceptable measurement. While significantly increased investment in education may appear unrealistic at present given the current income deficit, we advocate that there be a commitment to increase the education budget to 7% of GDP by 2016 across all sectors. Ireland currently spends approximately 4.7% of GDP on education which is well below the OECD average of 5.7%. Countries such as Denmark, Iceland, Korea and the US are spending in excess of 7%", Ms O'Callaghan said.
Removal of Moratorium
Campaign spokesman and TUI General Secretary Peter MacMenamin said there also needed to be an alleviation of recent cuts, particularly the moratorium on appointments to middle management posts in schools.
"There needs to be an alleviation of the cuts imposed over the past years as well as a commitment not to target education for further cuts in future budgets. The cuts made over the past two years must be reversed as soon as possible.
"Removal of the moratorium on middle management posts in schools so that they can make the necessary vital appointments such as year heads and examination secretaries is essential. With the inducement for many to retire from teaching during the present calendar year this situation will worsen and some believe that schools may not be in a position to open in September."
There are alternatives
Acknowledging the scale of investment increase sought, Stand Up for Education stressed that there are alternatives to the current approach Government is taking.
"We believe that the fairest and smartest option is to radically review how the taxation system works, distribute wealth and opportunity more equally in our society and protect frontline services. We believe that those who earn most - in either the public or private sector - should contribute most, according to their means," Mr MacMenamin said.
Stand Up for Education
Stand Up for Education is a campaign with the aim of mobilising public opinion to persuade government:
- to increase the level of investment in education in Ireland to 7% of GDP by 2016
- not to target education for further cuts in future budgets and to reverse cuts imposed over the last two years
- to provide additional places in education for the government's employment activation programme by the removal of artificial limits on enrolment on Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) and other courses designed for this process.
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Further Information
Ronan Cavanagh, Montague Communications: (01) 830 3116 or (086) 317 9731.
Stand Up for Education is sponsored by the Teachers' Union of Ireland and supported by: Aontas, Barnardos, Irish Second-Level Students Union, Irish Traveller Movement, Mandate Trade Union, National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, National Parents Association for Vocational Schools and Community Colleges, National Parents Council Post Primary, OPEN (One Parent Exchange Network), SIPTU.
