An Choiste Oideachais Speisialta f/ch Comhairle Ceantar na nOileán teo., Tír an Fhia, Leitir Móir, Co. na Gaillimhe Fón: 091-551922 Faics: 091-551921 ríomhphost: ceantarnanoilean@eircom.net Preas Ráiteas 15/08/05 Cá bhfuil an 600 post nua a Aire? Tá scoileanna i gConamara ag cailleadh múinteoirí acmhainne leis an leagan amach nua atá ar an soláthar Oideachas Riachtanaisí Speisialta agus tá an pobal ag iarraidh fáil amach cá bhfuil an 600 post nua a gheall an tAire Oideachais don réimse seo ag dul? Tá an Feachtas Oideachas Speisialta, a d'eagraigh cruinniú poiblí in Indreabhán an tseachtain seo caite faoin ábhar, an mhíshásta faoi na socruithe nua atá, dar leo, ag sú acmhainní riachtanach ó na scoileanna beaga tuaithe, i dtreo na scoileanna cathrach. Baineann na deacrachtaí leis an gcóras nua le múinteoirí a dháileadh, atá bunaithe ar líon na ndaltaí sna scoileanna seachas bunaithe ar thástálacha aonair ar dhaltaí le riachtanaisí speisialta. Tuigeann siad nach raibh an seanchóras gan locht, ach síleann siad go dtugann an chóras nua fábhar do scoileanna móra sna bailte agus mar thoradh ar sin go bhfuiltear tarraingt na h-acmhainní ó na scoileanna tuaithe. Tá siad den tuairim gur fadhb náisiúnta atá anseo nach dtuigfear i gceart nó go n-osclóidh na scoileanna arís an mhí seo chugainn. Is cás samplach de seo atá i gCeantar na nOileán (Leitir Móir/Leitir Mealláin) atá ag cailleadh múinteoir de bharr na h-athraithe. Dar le Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, urlabhraí de chuid an Fheachtais, tugadh an córas nua isteach gan mórán plé áitiúil ar an leagan amach agus go bhfuil an Roinn Oideachais thar a bheith mall ag tabhairt eolas sonrach maidir le buntáistí na scéime. 'Scríobh an Roinn chuig na scoileanna ar an 18ú Bealtaine le imlíne den gcóras nua', a deir sé. 'Sin ag an am is gnothaí den bhliain do na scoileanna, díreach roimh saoire an tSamhraidh. Bhí sé beagnach dodhéanta ansin, ar feadh dhá mhí, aon eolas sonrach a fháil faoin leagan amach do scoileanna faoi leith. Thug siad cuid den eolas sin beagán le cois seachtain ó shoin agus fuaireamar amach, go raibh post amháin ar a laghad caillte agus beirt mhúinteoir sároilte eile ag bogadh ar aghaidh go dtí jabanna eile. Tá muid ag iarraidh fáil amach, cén fáth an bhfuil jabanna á gcailleadh i gConamara nuair atá na hAirí Uí Ainiféin agus Uí Chuív ag maíomh as 600 post nua a bheith cruthaithe san earnáil seo'. Tá tuismitheoirí thar a bheith curtha amach faoi na socruithe nua chomh maith. Dar le Barbara Ann Ní Alluráin, is seirbhís rí-thábhachtach é seo a chuirtear ar fáil do ghasúir laga le coinneáil suas lena gcuid comhghleacaithe scoile. 'Bhain mo ghasúir féin an-tairbhe as an tseirbhís seo', a deir sí 'agus tá mé an-churtha amach go bhfuil an Roinn, go praicticiúil, ag tarraingt seirbhísí amach as scoileanna s'againne agus déanfaidh muid gach a chaithfidh muid le cinntiú go gcoinneofar an tseirbhís chomh maith is a bhí. Is í an fhadhb ná, nach dtuigfidh tuismitheoirí céard tá ag tarlú go dtí mí Meán Fomhair, nuair a ghabhfaidh siad ar ais chuig an scoil agus beidh an múinteoir feabhais a bhí acu imithe nó ar ais ag déanamh gnáthmhúinteoireacht. Beidh múinteoir nua ann, más féidir ceann a fháil, nach mbeidh ann ach go sealadach. Is mór an náire é seo agus troidfidh muid go láidir é'. Fadhb mór eile a fheictear leis na socruithe nua ná gur conraí sealadacha a bhéas ag na Múinteoirí Acmhainne feasta. Airíonn lucht an Fheachtais cur céim ar gcúl mór atá anseo do na múinteoirí atá ag déanamh na h-oibre seo agus gurb iad na páistí a bhéas thíos leis ag deire an lae. Deir Mairéad Ní Chualáin, Príomhoide Scoil an Droma i Leitir Mealláin, go gciallaíonn an córas nua go n-athróidh na daoine a bhí ag déanamh na h-oibre seo le blianta anuas go postanna níos buaine. 'Ceann de na rudaí is tábhachtaí faoin oideachas seo, ná an gaol a chruthaíonn an múinteoir leis an dalta agus na tuismitheoirí. Caithfear an muinín a chothú de réir a chéile. Leis an gcóras nua beidh sé an-deacair teacht ar mhúinteoirí mar nach mbeidh cuid mhaith de na folúntais lán-aimseartha, ná buan. Beidh na daltaí le riachtanaisí speisialta ag fulaingt dá bharr mar go mbeidh athraithe fóirne go minic ann agus beidh seirbhís mí-chothrom agus stadach á thabhairt. Arnó, beidh tionchar aige seo ar ghach dalta sa scoil, mar titfidh an ualach oibre ar ais ar na gnáthranganna agus beidh chuile dhuine thíos leis' a deir sí. Tá sé i gceist ag an gCoiste an Fheachtas a leathnú le áird a tharraingt ar na deacrachtaí leis an gcóras nua. Tá siad ag éileamh cruinniú leis an gCoiste Oireachtais um Oideachais & Eolaíochta len gcás a phlé. Beidh siad ag dul ar ais chuig an Roinn Oideachais le mionsonraí de na fadhbanna atá fós ag seasamh amach. Beidh siad ag iarraidh ar a laghad go gcoinneofar soláthar an tseirbhís ag an leibhéal a bhí sé anuraidh agus beidh siad ag glaoch ar ionadaithe poiblí, grúpaí pobail, grúpaí leasmhara agus daoine aonair tacú leo go poiblí ins an bhFeachtas. Beidh siad ag déanamh staidéar ar na h-impleachtaí dlí a bhaineann leis na h-athraithe chomh maith. Is féidir dul i dteangbháil leis an bhFeachtas Oideachas Speisialta ag 091-551922 nó ag ceantarnanoilean@eircom.net Críoch Eolas: Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, Bainisteoir, Comhairle Ceantar na nOileán, Tír an Fhia, Leitir Móir, Co. na Gaillimhe. Fón: 091-551922 Faics: 091-551921 Fón póca: 087-9110672 Ríomhphost: ceantarnanoilean@eircom.net

Press Release 15/08/05 Where are the 600 new jobs, Minister? Schools in Connemara are losing teachers in the rollout of Special Needs Education changes in primary schools and the community want to know where the 600 new jobs promised by the Minister for Education for this sector are going. The 'Feachtas Oideachas Speisialta' (Special Education Campaign), which held a public meeting in Inverin last week, are unhappy with the new arrangements which they feel are draining rural schools of vital teaching resources. The difficulties pertain to the new system for allocating resource teachers to schools nationwide, which is now being done based on the number of pupils in a school as oppose to individual assessments for those pupils with a need for the service. They feel the old system had it's flaws but that the new system favours larger schools in urban areas and that the result is that resources are being drawn away from smaller rural schools. They believe this will become a national issue when parents and schools across the country realise the implications of the changes in September. A case in point is Ceantar na nOileán (Leitir Móir/Leitir Mealláin) which is losing a teacher because of the changes. According to Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, a spokesperson on behalf of the campaign, the new model has been rushed in with little local consultation and the Department of Education has been very slow to clarify the benefits of the new system. 'The Department wrote to schools on the 18th of May outlining the new arrangements', he says. 'They did this at a time when schools are most busy, just before the Summer break. It then proved impossible, for almost two months, to get clarification from them as to what allocation had been made specifically for clusters of schools. When they did this, a little over a week ago, our fears were confirmed that we would be losing a teacher in Ceantar na nOileán, and that two of our established teachers would be moving away. We want to know why this is so, when Ministers Hanafin and Ó Cuív have been boasting of 600 new jobs being created for this sector'. Parents are particularly unhappy with the new arrangements also. According to Barbara Ann Ní Alluráin, the service provided is absolutely vital for children with learning difficulties to keep up with their counterparts. 'This service has been of huge benefit to my children', she says. 'I am very angry to think that the Department has effectively withdrawn resources from our schools and we will do everything we have to to make sure they are returned. The problem is that parents and children won't realise what has happened until they arrive into the school in September to find that the teacher who has been working with their child has moved or is back teaching a mainstream class, and the new teacher, if one has been found, is only in the school on a temporary basis. This is a disgrace and we intend to fight it all the way'. Another equally serious issue is that Resource Teachers will in future be employed on a temporary basis. The campaigners feel this is s step down for the teachers in question and that the children will be the real victims of these changes. According to Mairéad Ní Chualáin. Principal of Droim National School, the new system will result in teachers, who have put years of service into the area, moving to posts of a more permanent nature. 'One of the key elements of this type of education is the rapport that is built between the pupils and teachers. A great trust has to be developed and the teachers work with both children and parents in doing this. With the new arrangements it will be very difficult to find teachers, as many of the jobs will neither be fulltime or permanent. The Special Needs children will suffer as a result, as the turnover of personnel will mean a disjointed and unsatisfactory service. This will of course have a knock on effect on all pupils in schools as the workload will revert on to the normal classes and every student will suffer'. The Feachtas Oideachas Speisialta, has decided to broaden it's campaign to highlight the deficiencies of the new system. They intend to call for a meeting with the Oireachtas Committee for Education and Science to state their case. They are also going to go back to the Department of Education with a detailed list of their outstanding problems. They want the level of service to be at least maintained at last years level, if not greatly improved on, and they will be calling on all public representatives, community groups, interest bodies and individuals to publicly back them in their cause. They are also looking at the legal implications of the changes. The Feachtas Oideachas Speisialta can be contacted at 091-551922 or at ceantarnanoilean@eircom.net Ends