McCrossan: Education Cuts will limit the development of our Children

SDLP West Tyrone Westminster candidate Daniel McCrossan has criticised the Department of Education and Minister John O’Dowd for his tunnel vision approach to Education cuts and the impact of such cuts on local schools and young people.

Mr McCrossan warned of the devastating impact of education cutbacks throughout the Districts of Omagh and Strabane and across West Tyrone.

He said: “It is time Minister O’Dowd woke up and realised that Education is not a cost, but an investment. It’s an investment in our young people, in our communities and in our future. To threaten education threatens the potential of our children and creates barriers to sustainable community development.

“Prior to the holiday period I attended a public meeting organised by the Irish National Teachers Union (INTO) and Ulster Teachers Union (UTU) in the Strule Arts Centre, which highlighted the devastating impact of the cuts in education which could result in up to 2,500 job losses.

“It is no surprise that these cuts will impact on every school, classroom, pupil and parent throughout this constituency which will ultimately result in increased class sizes as well as teacher and classroom assistant redundancies. This is quite clearly an attack on our education system which will threaten the development of our children.

“The SDLP is the only Party which has opposed the cuts to date and warned of the reality if implemented. It is essential that we protect educational services throughout West Tyrone, which are under tremendous pressure already. These cuts will make the situation worse.”