24 DFómh 2012, 17:18
The Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection heard the perspectives of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland and the National Adult Literacy Agency on the Education and Training Boards Bill 2012.
24 October 2012
The Education and Training Boards Bill will replace the nine existing Vocational Education Acts with one piece of composite legislation. It provides for the establishment of 16 Education and Training Boards, replacing the current 33 Vocational Education Committees.
Committee Chair Joanna Tuffy TD says: “The Committee meeting today provided us with an opportunity to engage with the TUI, who represent the vast majority of staff employed by VECs. The union is concerned that the Bill impacts on the current statutory and contractual rights of teachers. They instanced the elimination of the right of a teacher to a sworn inquiry prior to dismissal and the increased distances a teacher might have to travel to if transferred.
“The Union also highlighted what they saw as the increasing ‘casualisation’ of the teaching profession. The TUI representatives said that up to 30 percent of their membership was on fixed term contracts. The Committee takes on board the concern that the vulnerability of non-permanent teachers could impact significantly on the delivery of high quality education.
“The Committee heard the TUI propose that the composition of the new Boards be one third local authority members and two thirds stakeholders. I expressed some concern with the proposal that the proportion of elected representatives currently making up Vocational Educational Committees is to be reduced. As councillors represent the local communities served by the schools, elected by all residents and not just citizens, the implications for the democratic nature of the new Boards warrant some consideration.
“The National Adult Literacy Agency argued persuasively for each of the new Boards include a dedicated adult learner seat. Cognisant of the 200,000 adult learners currently in further education, there was strong sympathy for this point of view among Committee Members and we will consider how their concerns can be addressed through amendments to the Bill as it progresses to Committee stage.”
For further information please contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +353 1 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
Committee Membership
Deputies:
James Bannon, Fine Gael
Ray Butler, Fine Gael
Joan Collins, People Before Profit
Clare Daly, Independent
Brendan Griffin, Fine Gael
Simon Harris, Fine Gael
Charlie McConalogue, Fianna Fáil
Nicky McFadden, Fine Gael
Jonathan O'Brien, Sinn Féin
Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Fine Gael
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour Party (Vice Chair)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Sinn Féin
Willie O’Dea, Fianna Fáil
Brendan Ryan, Labour Party
Joanna Tuffy, Labour Party (Chair)
Senators:
Jim D’Arcy
Fidelma Healy Eames
Marie Moloney
Marie Louise O’Donnell
Averil Power
Diarmuid Wilson