Marian Quinn.jpg

Government ‘need to start putting their hand in their pockets’

Thomas Lyons

This Friday possibly the most benign industrial action will be staged in a bid to draw attention to the situation of early childhood educators. The Association of Childhood Professionals (ACP) have organised an event to encourage employers, employees and parents to unite and support them in an action to send a clear message to Government and opposition parties.

One of the educators taking part in the “walkout” is Paula Donohoe of the Clever Clogs Montessori & Daycare in Ballyconnell: “We have decided that because of the disruption caused by storm Ophelia we would rather not impose any more hardship on families. We are undertaking this demonstration as more of an information collaborative campaign with the parents involved,” Paula explained to The Anglo-Celt.
The date of the action has particular significance as 27/10 is a juxtaposition of the average wage in the profession, €10.27: “I will be giving parents information on how grossly underfunded the sector is and how we are trying to get the government to stop paying only lip service to the inequality in childcare. They need to start putting their hand in their pockets and dishing up the dosh.”
The childcare provider says that Deputy Brendan Smith (FF) will attend on the morning, along with parents of the children in her care in solidarity for their actions: “I am not affecting my service in anyway. I do not want the children or the parents to be affected by it. But they are sympathetic to the cause, because it affects their children.”
The rationale behind Friday's action is simple: “It is about raising awareness of the situation that childcare providers find themselves in. Unless we take action, and can effect real change, we will continue to see highly qualified and experienced members of the profession leave their chosen career.”
Paula said that the issue impacts on a large number of people in the county: “There are 60 child care providers in the region that this issue directly affects. There are 140 children in our service, so there are many people availing of early child care education services across County Cavan who are directly influenced by the issue.”
The organiser of the action is the ACP, a voluntary body representing 2,000 members who manage, or work across the 4,500 early learning and childcare centres in the country. The ACP has also asked other early childhood centres and professionals to join the action, to give information to parents and to engage on social media.
ACP Chairperson Marian Quinn said: “Government policy exploits the early childhood education and care profession to deliver schemes on the ‘cheap’. The true cost is subsidised by the low wages of the early years teachers and an unsustainability faced by service providers.”
The ACP are asking as many people as possible to show their support in whatever way possible on Friday in real life or on social media.