IPPN

Published: 15 April 2009

Source: independent.ie

INDUSTRIAL action in primary and secondary-level schools moved a step closer yesterday as teachers vented their fury over pay and education cuts.

Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe felt the chill wind of their anger as he embarked on his first round of the annual Easter conferences.

He was greeted with frosty receptions at both the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) and the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), and faces a similarly cool mood today at the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) gathering, in his native Cork.

About 40 of the 800 INTO delegates walked out in protest when the minister rose to speak, and his address, a defence of the Government's handling of the economic crisis, was greeted with frequent bursts of derisory laughter.

Later, at the ASTI, about 20 delegates walked out and his speech met with a muted applause.

All three teacher unions already have a mandate for up to two days of industrial action over the Government's handling of the economic crisis.

Yesterday, the INTO adopted a number of motions calling for action, up to and including strike, which will now be considered by the union executive.

Budgets

The 400-plus TUI delegates backed a programme of industrial protests to force the reinstatement of school budgets and teaching resources.

The ASTI will consider motions today demanding the removal of the pensions levy and withdrawal of the moratorium on filling posts of responsibility.

The only positive news from the minister to the INTO was his confirmation that €100m would be spent this year on the Summer Works Scheme, a programme for small-scale building and maintenance works for schools.

INTO general secretary John Carr dispatched the minister with the message that they needed "fewer pious sentiments, handwringing and excuses" ringing in his ears.

ASTI president Pat Hurley said teachers and students were not responsible for the decline in public finances.

TUI president Don Ryan described the Government's package of pay cuts and school budget cutbacks as "an outrageous attack" and warned it would be "fool-hardly" to rely on the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) or other unions to fight the cutbacks.

Mr Carr said workers and children were picking up the tab for "unregulated corporate greed".

"I want you to be in no doubt when you leave here today about the depth of anger among teachers, the sense of outrage in schools and the feeling of betrayal in communities up and down the country.

"Where once young children paid to seek a cowboy film, now they pay for the cowboys," one of a number of colourful phrases which drew a smile even from the minister.

Attacking the decision to increase class sizes, Mr Carr said: "Like Michael O'Leary's airports, Ireland's class sizes are miles away from where they should be."

He added that Mr O'Keeffe's sums on teaching job losses represented "Sean FitzPatrick-style accounting in the eve of an Anglo Irish AGM".

"Lest there be any misunderstanding, that remark is confined to the mathematics used and not to personal probity. Perhaps you learned your maths in an overcrowded class."

The minister was reminded of the indignant fury felt by teachers when he mistakenly accused them last autumn of a 40pc sick leave rate on Mondays and Fridays.

Mr Carr said he could accept that it was a mistake, "had I heard one word of an apology today".

Later at a briefing with journalists, the minister said: "If John Carr feels aggrieved, I am sorry about that and I apologise to him."

- Katherine Donnelly, John Walshe and Ralph Riegel