Ballynahinch Head Master voices his fear over latest ruling

5 December 2011 |

Posted by Anne O'Hare |

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AS THE new Government's public sector pension cuts was ruled lawful by the High Court on Friday (2 December), one County Down Head Master speaks out about the injustice of this decision, writes Anne O'Hare.

The cuts now save the government many millions of pounds in the coming years and is a major area of disagreement within the public sector pensions dispute.

Strike in Downpatrick Strikers converge upon Market Square in Downpatrick to protest about Government cuts.

But it doesn't end there. According to Maurice Doherty, Principal at The High School, Ballynahinch, his school is set to loose over £30,000 in the next financial year on top of teachers salaries being frozen.
Mr Doherty opposes the government reforms. He said: "Education has never been faced with such financial reductions by a Government. The teachers and I belong to four different unions. While three of the unions supported strike action, one balloted against it. Teachers believed, in spite of this their duty of care to children and parents was paramount.

One Union has decided to carry out actions short of strike action and others may follow suit."
However, Mr Doherty described most disturbing was the effect next year's aggregated budget cuts would have on his school. He said: "This school has upwards of 330 pupils and we stand to lose approximately £33,000. That equates to loosing at least one teacher.

This is due to Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU) being cut from the previously indicated three per cent to five per cent. Furthermore, the Government also intends to implement a carbon tax and older schools will suffer even more if their buildings are not eco-friendly."

However, Mr Doherty conceded the impact of the bailout must be shouldered by both private and public sector workers. He said: "Because of the state of the country's finances everyone will be expected to play their part.

In both sectors there are people who are on fairly high salaries and within the private sector there are people who are on extremely high salaries. But in both cases there are employees who are on low salaries. There has been a perception that workers in the public sector have stability of tenure as well as a good pension scheme.

"However, security of tenure is something public sector workers can no longer expect. There were a significant number of teachers made redundant last year and all the signs are that this will be an even larger number this year. In addition the public sector is cutting back on recruitment. So a certain equality should exist when it comes to shouldering the financial burden."

Meanwhile, a Government spokesperson claimed the UK now borrows an estimated £230,000 each minute. If this rate continues without imposing urgent austerity measures, everyone both private and public sector faces a bleak future.