INTO Conference: Brexit ‘could leave thousands of cross-border teachers unemployed’
“There are about 30,000 people who cross the border on a daily basis and they enjoy one of the key principles of the European Union, which is freedom of movement.
“A significant number of those cross-border workers are teachers and these teachers are key to the schools in which they work and in many cases if they hadn’t the facility to travel freely from one jurisdiction into the other, they would be unemployed,” said primary school teacher Gerry Murphy.
He was speaking at the annual Irish National Teachers’ Organisation congress where a motion was passed in relation to reducing the impact of Brexit.
He said that not only could the freedom of travel be adversely affected but also the recognition of qualifications.
“It is simply not the ease of travel that makes it possible for them to pursue a career and earn a living, it is additionally European legislation that allows for the recognition of professional qualifications which also be at risk in the event of a hard Brexit,” said Mr Murphy.
“People, this is too important to sit on the sidelines of, it is too important to leave to politicians. The impact of Brexit will be felt right across the 32 counties, not just six.”
Another teacher, Fergal Brougham, referred to the need to stem the rise of xenophobia in the world by teaching children about globalisation.
“I don’t know if you’re like me but I’m still reeling from the Brexit vote and I’m also still reeling from Trump’s victory,” said Mr Brougham.
“Wringing my hands as liberals usually do isn’t good enough. So I was thinking what can we actually do to try and stem this flow of xenophobia in the world.”
Mr Brougham referred to a scheme developed by the INTO, where teachers pledge to educate their students about world affairs.
“At school level, we’re very practical people and one thing we can do is, we have a global citizenship schools scheme. You sign up on the INTO website. The paperwork, because it was designed by teachers, is one page. So you sign up for one page and you make a pledge that you’re going to design and do globalisation issues in your classroom, most of us are doing it already.”
