Unite to fight education cuts

Omagh District Council is to embark on a major consultation exercise with local school Principals and with the Trade Unions to assess the prospective impact of extensive cuts in front line education services.

This decision was taken at the April meeting of the Council on Monday evening, when Sinn Féin's Barry McElduff made a series of proposals, which won cross-party support on the council.

These include seeking an emergency meeting between the council and the Western Education and Library Board (WELB) to "gain information and certainty about the true and specific nature of the £5.7 million cuts to take effect in 2005".

The Sinn Féin member, who led a mass resignation of councillors from the WELB last month, also proposed that the council write to local school principals and to trade unions to express solidarity with those working in the education sector.

McElduff is arguing for a broad-based campaign to maximise pressure on the WELB to pull back from implementing the draconian cuts, which will have a major negative impact on rural school transport, special needs education, school meals provision and school crossing patrols, among other frontline education services.