Cut backs in School Competitions

[Zulu]

Taken from today's Irish independent, anyone got any solution's or are there any teachers here who can fill us in on the situation on the ground as they see it?


By COLM KEYS

Wednesday January 21 2009

Colleges GAA could be about to crumble under the weight of recent Department of Education cuts that have slashed the spending on substitute teachers across the board.

Schools in Munster, Leinster and Connacht have already fallen by the wayside for this year's competitions which are already under way.

But, by next September, provincial councils in all three provinces expect the attrition rate to be much higher, with sports teams the most likely sacrifice in preference to curricular activities that have also lost cover.

In Leinster, three schools, including the once-mighty St Finian's in Mullingar, will not be participating in any GAA competitions in 2009, according to the Leinster Council, because of the cuts announced by Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe.

Kells Community Schools and Tullow have also withdrawn.

In Connacht, Abbey Community College in Boyle and St Joseph's in Foxford have pulled out with immediate effect while, in Munster, Youghal's Pobalscoil na Trionaide have pulled their Gaelic games involvement.

Schools and provincial council officials in all three provinces fear, however, that this may just be the tip of the iceberg and that when the new school year recommences next September, servicing Gaelic games teams on an ongoing basis may have slipped further down the pecking order.

Even the €2.7m released by the Department before Christmas to ease the burden on schools has not averted the problem.

Leinster Council official Michael Reynolds says all school activities have been hit badly and the effects are only showing now.

"So far only three schools have pulled but we're lucky in that many competitions are up and running and well advanced and in that regard most, if not all, have given a commitment to finish out," he said.

"The GAA have a problem but when curricular activities like field trips in geography or drama trips are being affected then there is an obvious scale.

"It looks like sport is just going to suffer."

The Leinster Council have received letters from schools pledging to finish competitions but warning that if the current situation remains the outlook for the future is bleak.

Several schools have already indicated to Leinster that they will not be fielding teams in the coming school year.

In Munster, a recent colleges council meeting heard the same tale of woe, with even a teacher from St Brendan's in Killarney outlining that they may not be immune from the cuts. Like Leinster, most colleges are intent on finishing out what they have started but Munster have heard appeals from schools to return to competition on a straight knock out basis.

Connacht Council secretary, John Prenty, said the next few months would "tell the story" in the west but, at the moment, he said schools are just operating on a day-to-day basis.

"A match could be fixed for a particular day but that morning the school could have teachers out sick and their cover for football is gone.

"In that event, the game is cancelled but we can't wait forever for them.

"We'll see what happens," said Prenty.

"Our 'A' competition should be okay because that is predominantly played at weekends but we can't play all our games at weekends because of the availability of pitches, referees and the time factor with teachers," he added.

Interest in colleges Gaelic games has built up steadily over the last decade, giving the GAA a stronger base at secondary level than it has ever had.

Erosion

But the erosion, on the back of the cuts, is evident and getting progressively worse, something that may prompt some action from the association itself.

The former Meath footballer and current GAA columnist Colm O'Rourke, who is principal at St Patrick's Classical School in Navan, winners of three Hogan Cup titles this decade, says Gaelic games is really going to lose out over the next 12 months.

"The problem doesn't affect rugby as much because most rugby schools are fee-paying and they can provide cover.

"There is no doubt the effects of these cuts are disastrous,"he said.

"We'll be finishing all our commitments to competition but we'll be scaling back across a whole host of sports in September, including Gaelic games.

"Sport provides a great outlet for pupils and we shouldn't lose sight of that even if there are most important items on the curriculum affected by the cuts," said O'Rourke.

"In our schools, we had the facility for eight hours of cover last week but between activities and uncertified sickness we required 31. That's a big shortfall," he pointed out.

[thebandit]

That's shocking. Schools will become like workhouses.

[BeanPháidín]

Time for clubs to stop paying 1st team managers 10 to 30,000 a year unless their going to take teams at primary & secondary level locally. Cannot expect teachers to do their work forever. Had it too good for 125 years. We're in a recession so I don't think it funny when club managers are paid and children, teenagers, players and volunteers suffer because of cutbacks

[Zulu]

I think the GAA should look at the possibility of paying coaches to take some school teams, we need to increase the number of development coaches anyway and losing the schools (possibly to other codes) would be a disaster. Surely the Dept. of Education could put something towards this and the GAA put up the majority. In the current situation there are many IC players unemployed, for example why not pay Matty Forde to take 3 or 4 schools in Wexford.

[thebandit]

I think the GAA should look at the possibility of paying coaches to take some school teams, we need to increase the number of development coaches anyway and losing the schools (possibly to other codes) would be a disaster. Surely the Dept. of Education could put something towards this and the GAA put up the majority. In the current situation there are many IC players unemployed, for example why not pay Matty Forde to take 3 or 4 schools in Wexford.

I think Benny Coulter does a similar job in Down. I think its sponsored by Gerard O'Hare (Buttercrane owner)

[tierworker blue]

Very sad to see my own alma mater, St. Finians College in Mullingar, pulling out of all competitions.
I knew we had come down a lot since the good old days, when we were a major hitter on the schools scene, but for it to go this far is disappointing. Here's hoping for things to get sorted, and for better days ahead.

[moysider]

I started a similar thread to this shortly after the budget but it quickly ran out of steam. Does nt seem to strike a chord at all. Rugby schools wont be affected. They ll make sure they wont be because its the school structure that has made Irish rugby competitive and will continue to feed the professional game - not the clubs. Schools are vital too in football and hurling. While all players will talk ' it all started in the club' the best players come through the College s system where they play with better players, play against better players, and usually knowledgeable people are looking after things. I know a lot of lads that admit the best team they ever played on was their school team.  Mayo s minor team last year came out of mainly 3 of the bigger colleges ( balance varies from year to year) - as many as 12 starters at times. If you looked at it in club terms it was all over the place with several clubs represented. Crucially players from small clubs that have quality can flourish and progress through the colleges.

[stephenite]

Any word on how this will directly affect the college Moysider?

[RedandGreenSniper]

Its a major problem and I don't think people are aware or care. Moysider is right about a lot of players coming through the colleges structure, it brings them up a level from the club. You'll see the county minor manager and selectors at a lot of minor games and with good reason.

Colleges A won't suffer too badly, as Prenty says, because those games are mainly played at the weekend. But the connacht league and championship grades B, C and D will certainly suffer.

I like Zulu's suggestion about putting out of work county players to this use. Club players too. Do it via FAS if that's possible. Would there be issues with supervision though? Would a teacher have to also be present in the overly careful society we live in?

[Zulu]

As Moysider says the lack of posts on this thread probably reflects the general attitude of GAA folk to this problem. IMO the schools are far more important than the clubs in terms of developing players between the ages of 12 and 18, yet there is no sense of urgency in dealing with this issue. In the current climate we will have our pick of inter county players, club players and experienced coaches who would jump at the chance to coach in schools on a part time basis for lets say €250 a week, supplement these guys with full time positions for high profile IC players who'll travel to all the schools in their county to promote the games. If these guys get their foundation coaching courses and child protection courses done then there should be no problem with them taking school teams.

If we are struggling then so too are soccer, basketball and rugby (in non fee paying schools) so we should look at this issue as an opportunity rather than as a problem. We have the financial clout and we have high profile players who need jobs so lets get these lads into schools to promote the GAA. Schools may have to drop out of the under 14,15 and 16 grades in these other sports but if we are in there making sure there is schools GAA for these kids and players like Matty Forde are coaching them we may win over lads and girls to the GAA for life. Most kids will only be too glad of the opportunity to play some sport in school and we should make sure the GAA is always there as an option.

There are lots of lads claiming the Cork strike could destroy the GAA or anarchy will reign if the players win but I can assure you, the Cork 'strike' is a rising river compared to the incoming tsunami that is the schools cut backs.

[Canalman]

O'Rourke alludes to the main problem here which is "uncertified sickness" and for which school activities are the main casualty.I suspect that some teacher unions will latch on to this issue of school sports etc with the usual "what about the kids?" approach. The biggest moaners will probably be the teachers that have never taken a school activity out in their lives but will piggyback this issue to further their own agendas.
Have 2 siblings both national teachers who run football and hurling teams in their schools AFTER school hours and for no extra pay. They do it because they are Dublin GAA people and for the same reason that 1000s of others in the association do it........ to help out..
Forgive me for being a tad cynical about the secondary teachers. I for one would love to turn my back on the office a few times a week on full pay and coach a school team.

[Zulu]

In fairness Canalman, in my experience teachers have no problem taking teams for training after school but the games generally need to be played within school hours and this is where the problem lies and this is where the GAA could especially help. Imagine the impact heading off to a schools game with Bernard Brogan, Matty Forde or Padraig Joyce at the top of a bus would have on kids.