By Kate Chambré

ANGER and frustration are two words that could sum up the reaction of over one thousand teachers yesterday at Letterkenny’s biggest ever trade union conference.

Delegates, who attended the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation’s (INTO) AGM, said they were “furious” that Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe, failed to address any of the current issues affecting the primary school sector.

INTO General Secretary, John Carr, from Downings, said he wanted the Minister to be under no illusion of the depth of anger felt by primary school teachers in Ireland.

“I want you to be in no doubt when you leave here today about the depth of anger among teachers, the sense of outrage in schools and the feeling of betrayal in communities up and down this country, about the Government’s handling of the economic crisis and the way your Government has failed to protect primary school pupils from its effects,” he said.

To a standing ovation and loud applause, Mr Carr said that teachers, who had no part in the country’s economic collapse, bitterly resented having “their pockets picked to bail out bankers, speculators and developers”.

He said educationalists totally opposed the government forcing primary school children to “pay for the recklessness and greed of Ireland’s casino capitalists by way of fewer resources and lower investment” adding that “the land of saints and scholars now sacrifices its scholars for its sinners.”

Mr Carr also drew attention to the “unacceptable” use of prefabs as classroom accommodation.

“Prefabs are economically nonsensical and educationally indefensible. Phase out their use completely. No child should be sentenced to eight years of primary education in a prefab.”

Mr Carr wound up his speech by saying: “The state has a duty of care not just to its young but to all its senior citizens as well. In the meantime I have one message for your government, “Hands off public servants gratuity”.

Earlier, and just seconds before Mr O’Keeffe addressed delegates at the Mount Errigal Hotel, around 25 protestors, holding placards and heckling, demonstrated their fury at Government cutbacks to the education sector, by walking out of the conference hall.

During his speech – which largely focused on the country’s economic state – Mr O’Keeffe announced that he would be introducing a new pilot project aimed at replacing rented prefab accommodation with more permanent high-quality structures.

“This project will be targeted at schools that have older rented prefabs and need long-term additional accommodation,” he said.

Mary Durning, from Milford National School felt Mr Carr was holding himself back in his speech, describing “it as tempered but forceful”.

She said: “Both he and the delegates are incensed by the cuts in the primary education sector.”

Ann Foxe from Lurgybrack National School in Letterkenny said: “Minister O’Keeffe’s speech was totally unrelated to education in general.”

While Catherine Morrison from St. Garvan’s National School, Rathmullan, said “the minister seemed to talk more about the economy rather than teaching, and never once praised or recognised teachers as a group and the work that they do”.

She added: “Normally the Minister would make an announcement – have a carrot to dangle so to speak – but there was nothing. He gave teachers no hope.”

Gerard McGeehan from Moville National School said he felt extremely “annoyed that nothing has been done to safeguard children of this country” referring to the “savage attacks” on the education sector during the last two budgets.

Referring to the Minister’s speech he said: “I thought it was a typical political speech. He spoke for quite a while, but said nothing.”

Northern Ireland Education Minister Ruane also addressed the conference, and thanked INTO delegates for their support in the abolition of the 11-plus.