Diary of a Schoolteacher: Satanists and long-lost friends: just another parent-teacher meeting [Independent.ie]
- Published: 26 October 2011
The first P-T meeting of the year turns out to be a great night for gossip. Someone has blu-tacked my name on the door and is handing out names and room-number lists to mums, dads, grannies and grannies' boyfriends as they arrive.
Thankfully I'm at the dark end of the corridor so they first head for Finnegan at the other end, happy in the knowledge that he only believes in something called "constructive criticism". All that means is that the kids think he is gay.
As I spot Cian Fingerton's dad, a concerned parent who as gossip has it wants to "bate me", because I called his son a "gobdaw", I find myself considering removing my name from the door, turning off the light and jumping out the window.
However, before that very large and aggressive parent can reach me, the welcome and unexpected sight of an old friend emerges from another room.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Teachers 'will challenge' pay rules for new entrants [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 25 October 2011
Teachers in Ireland are set to challenge new pay levels that will see people entering the profession receive lower wages than in the past.
According to the Irish Independent, unions have claimed these rules are discriminatory against younger individuals, with three of the country's major organisations stating they will consider legal action.
A spokesperson for the Teachers Union of Ireland told the publication is it "gravely concerned by a situation that allows two teachers or lecturers doing the same work to be paid from different pay scales".
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
Teachers plan to challenge lower wage rates for new entrants [Independent.ie]
- Published: 25 October 2011
TEACHERS are planning to challenge cuts to pay levels for new entrants to the profession, claiming that they discriminate against younger teachers.
The pay for teachers getting their first job in 2011 is 14pc lower than for those who started in previous years after salary reductions across the public service.
The new teachers are appointed on a scale of €30,000 to €34,000, which is up to €6,000 below the 2010 figure.
The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) claims this amounts to discrimination on age grounds.
Although difficult to prove, the union has received legal advice that "there is a reasonable prospect of mounting a successful challenge".
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Retiring teachers 'to be allowed to remain in the classroom' [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 24 October 2011
Teachers who are taking early retirement in February will be allowed to stay on until the end of the school year in order to prepare their Junior and Leaving Certificate classes for their exams.
The Irish Independent reports that a large number of educators are expected to apply for such packages as they try to ensure their retirement savings and lump-sum payouts will not be affected by recent austerity measures.
Schools have raised concerns that the Croke Park agreement, which will see public sector workers who retire before February next year receive pensions based on their 2009 salary, will lead to a "mass exodus" of experienced teachers.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
Public sector staff vote on strikes [belfasttelegraph.co.uk]
- Published: 24 October 2011
Members of the FDA, which represents high ranking Whitehall staff, and Prospect will be balloted on whether to take industrial action in protest at plans to increase their contributions by 3.2%.
The result of the two ballots will be known in mid-November, by which time other unions representing over a million teachers, head teachers, NHS and local government workers, will have announced the outcome of strike votes by their members.
The TUC is organising a day of action on November 30, which could see millions of workers stage the biggest day of industrial unrest seen in the UK for decades.
Full Story: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
