Govt facing fresh battle over education cutbacks
A range of groups representing teachers, parents and school managers are meeting in Dublin today to discuss their concerns about education cutbacks announced in the budget.
The Government looks set to face another major battle on the issue after a week of controversy surrounding the cuts imposed in the medical-card scheme for over 70s.
The education cutbacks will lead to larger class sizes in Irish schools and a loss of substitution cover for absent teachers.
The move is understood to be causing major concern within the Green Party.
The Association of Secondary Teachers says up to 1,500 teachers will lose their jobs as a result of the cuts, significantly more than the figure of 200 put forward by the Minister for Education.
