Due to underfunding of Solas by Dept of Further and Higher Education, Adult Education Teachers all over the country have been told they have no jobs to return to in September.
These are people in their first 3 years of employment who had no option but to take the new Adult Educator contract.
This is on top of those workers who were already laid off in September 2024.
A spokesperson for the AETO said:
“To say that there is dissatisfaction with the conditions of the new contract would be an understatement.
But at least, people thought, after years of being treated as 2nd class workers, there will be some certainty and consistency to our working lives. After all, the purpose of the contract, according to government, was the 'regularisation of pay for tutors in ETBs'.
Not so. The majority of AETs are signing on the dole this summer, whether they have jobs to go to in September or not.
This disgraceful treatment of dedicated and professional teachers is causing stress and upset and can't be allowed to stand.”
Even those Adult Educators who have jobs to go to in September will probably lose hours.
This affects not just the teachers involved but the learners whose classes will be cut, many of whom are from some of the most disadvantaged communities.
What’s to happen to those learners?
It seems their access to education should be as precarious as the employment prospects of their teachers.
Adult Education Teachers (AETs) are holding an emergency protest at the gates to Leinster House on Kildare Street on Wednesday July 9th at 1pm.
The AETO spokesperson said:
“We call on all our colleagues and supporters to join the protest on July 9th to send a message to Minister Lawless that we won’t accept the job cuts caused by budget cuts. He should take steps now to ensure that adequate funding be allocated so there can be full and proper provision of adult education.”
See this interview for more detail:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DL48dIxsDAZ/?igsh=MXIwbWVlNW1wb3hteA==