'Absolutely devastated' Laois adult education teacher among many losing jobs

A Laois teacher says she is “absolutely devastated” at losing her job in adult education, and is joining a nationwide strike this month with others.

She says there are hundreds more like her in the same boat, who had worked less than three years and whose contracts are not renewed.

The teacher fears that it will hit the ‘most vulnerable’, the thousands of students that they taught.

She wishes to remain anonymous, is pleading for action by the Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless. 

The teacher spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

“I was teaching with the LOETB in outreach, literacy and community education. I was on a Adult Educator contract for a couple of years. I was heading into a ‘contract of indefinite duration’ which would have given me more security.

“ I got a call in June out of the blue. They told me they had no hours for me in September. They never said anything when school finished in May. 

“I am absolutely devastated. I work really hard, at times at 11o’clock at night preparing classes. As an adult education tutor you want to give your students a better experience, some have had awful experiences, you have to nearly coax them in, and be very prepared, and very empathetic.

“I’m paying a mortgage, I have the usual overheads. It’s been a really worrying time. 

“All teachers like me have been let go, it’s several hundred across Ireland.

“It’s going to have a huge effect on our literacy students and on the Ukraine community. All the classes have been pulled. They have really taken the classes off the most vulnerable. The people with literacy issues who can’t go and email someone to complain. The way it has been done is very unfair.

“I’m applying for any job in my remit now. It’s awful,” she said.

“It’s a job I love, I really enjoyed it. You’re a teacher at heart, it really is a vocation, it’s part of who you are. The joy is in seeing people flourish. To go from Level 1 up to even Level 5. They come back to you and tell me how they didn’t have any hope, and now their confidence has increased,” the teacher said.

“I am among several people who were all pushed onto a new contract. They sold us this adult education contract saying it gave better job security, that we would be paid for breaks, and you would have a job to go back to in September. it seemed to be good.

“The Minister gave more money to SOLAS, but I can’t see where that money has gone to,” the Laois teacher said. 

Read also: Leaving Cert students earn top grades in CBS Portlaoise

 Adult Education Teachers from across Ireland are holding the protest march in Dublin from SOLAS to the Department of Further & Higher Education on Wednesday, August 27 from 11.30am – 1.30pm.

The teachers say that the jobs cuts are due to underfunding of Adult Education.

The LOETB say they are unable to comment on the issue.