Teachers' union to protest over compulsory redundancies
Teachers are set to protest outside the Dáil this evening over plans by the Education Minister Ruairi Quinn to force through the compulsory redundancies of more than 400 teachers nationally.
The Teachers Union of Ireland has organised the protest, claiming that by stealth, the minister has abolished more than 10% of teaching hours in the further education sector.
Assistant Principal at Whitehall College of Further Education Marie Humphries said the upshot will see many students locked out of access to further education in September.
She said: "This is separate from the all the Croke Park agreements. In the last budget Ruairi Quinn changed the pupil teacher ratio for further education which will have an affect on part-time teachers who are teaching in further education.
"Many of these are specialist teachers and if they lose their jobs many of the specialist courses will go, students won't be able to get places."
