Tuesday 24 March members of Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) held a lunchtime protest over cuts to the English for Speakers of other Languages Programme (ESOL) and adult literacy programmes in Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB). The substantial protest took place in the rain outside GRETB's offices in Athenry.
TUI said in a press release: "It is important to note that the cuts are as a result of a reduction in budget to GRETB from SOLAS, the State agency that oversees the Further Education & Training (FET) sector in Ireland.
"TUI is calling for immediate reversal of these unacceptable and shortsighted cuts, which will have a hugely negative impact for both learners and staff and have come as a complete shock to all affected."
Denman Rooke People Before Profit's candidate in the upcoming Galway West by-election said: "I'm excited to see this union of teachers standing up for themselves and their students and schools. It's the best answer to austerity. I think more people should follow their lead and organise visible loud-and-proud grassroots protests and stand up against Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael austerity in our communities. Well done to them. They have People Before Profit's 100% support."
TUI's press release continued: "ESOL programme provides classes to those looking to learn English as a second or other language, a critical service to students and also those in the local economy seeking to employ workers in the sectors where they are most needed.
To make matters worse, some of the staff affected were approaching a point in time when they would have attained security in their employment through contracts of indefinite duration.
The TUI once again calls for urgent engagement on this matter."
Denman Rooke commented: "These are the people make the real, needed and very successful literacy programmes for those who've fallen through the cracks happen as well as community integration programmes like English as a Second or Other Language, ESOL classes going strong in our communities. How are these on the chopping board while the government's Fighter Jet Fantasies - some costing tens of thousands an hour to keep aloft - are 'practical' and 'adult'. It's mind-boggling.
"What we have here are principled workers in their communities who are organised in their unions actually fighting and standing up for their own jobs, yes, but also services in the community and actual members of our communities - no matter where they are from -Athenry or Afghanistan- That's what we need to hear and see more of across the country.
One worker was quoted on Galway Bay FM again this morning saying: "What we are doing here is showing our suport for GRETB... to take this case back to SOLAS and say 'What are you doing pulling money from services and classes that are well attended? Why are you leaving people with no English-language tuition in rural communites where there's not a lot of opportunity to get English-language education in another way?'
"We're trying to show that there are enough of us that will stand up for this so that GRETB can go back to the funders and say 'You know, this really is the wrong decision.'"
Denman Rooke said, "I'm proud to see this fight against cuts is happening in Galway and Roscommon first and I'm sure we'll see more of it from ETB teachers across the country. They have form. These teachers are union members and fighters for their community. They are well organised. They are leading by example. We can all do this and we will need to be well organised too to really fight off the government austerity on health, housing and education. The cuts have to stop, and stopping the cuts starts here. It starts with people."
