A better image for teachers? [IrishTimes]
- Published: 05 April 2010
THE ANNUAL teacher union conferences will attract considerable media attention this week; indeed there can be few groups whose views are reported so comprehensively. But do the teacher unions make the most of this opportunity? Do these conferences portray the teaching profession as a group of dedicated professionals? Do they help teachers build bridges with parents, potentially their most important allies?
In recent years, some teacher union conferences have done little to bolster the image of the profession. Last year, the leadership of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) was forced to apologise to former minister Batt O’Keeffe after he was barracked by some delegates. This year, the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) – in a very petulant gesture – decided not to invite the Minister because of pay and pension cuts. At the conferences themselves, substantial debate on education issues is often crowded out.
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