Defiant teachers to resist duties in protest [independent.ie]
- Published: 16 April 2009
Source: independent.ie
By Katherine Donnelly, John Walshe and Ralph Riegel
Thursday April 16 2009
PUPILS face massive disruption in the day-to-day running of their schools this September as teachers ramp up their rejection of Government cutbacks.
In another angry day at the annual union conferences yesterday, primary and second-level teachers hardened their position on industrial action.
The outcome of social partnership talks, which resume next week, will determine whether the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) gives the go-ahead for any day of action.
But teachers are poised to take matters into their own hands, as emergency motions relating to cuts in teachers' pay and conditions were yesterday debated by all three teachers' conferences.
The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) and Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) have now adopted a raft of motions giving them a free hand to take individual action.
Meanwhile, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) will make its decision today. The three teacher unions, in common with other public service unions, also have mandates for up to two days' strike action in protest at the Government's handling of the economic crisis.
Jeering
Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe felt the full force of the hostility in his native Cork, when he was drowned out by jeering delegates at the TUI conference. Some delegates walked out.
TUI president Don Ryan told Mr O'Keeffe that his explanations for the cuts were of "the dog ate my homework variety".
The 800 primary teachers at the INTO yesterday said that it is not their intention to impact directly on teaching and learning, but there will be inevitable side effects to their actions.
They plan to refuse to co-operate with a range of administrative tasks, and not to fill in for certain posts left empty by a recruitment embargo. The beleaguered Mr O'Keeffe has faced all three unions over the past two days and received a frosty reception from delegates.
But last night he appealed to teachers to use "common sense" before proceeding with threats of industrial action.
He said teachers needed to think long and hard about the consequences of strike action on classrooms nationwide.
But even as he was speaking at the TUI in Cork, the INTO delegates in Donegal were engaged in an unanimous vote, supporting industrial action.
Embargo
They unanimously condemned the cap on teacher numbers and the embargo on filling posts, including assistant principal jobs, leaving about 700 promotional posts in primary schools vacant next year.
The INTO will not do any of the work associated with these posts, such as co-ordinating sports activities and special needs requirements, and developing polices on behaviour or attendance.
Neither will they return data to the Department of Education or the National Educational Welfare Board.
They also decided not to co-operate on a range of othe0r administrative duties, the details of which will be agreed at a special conference to take place in either May or June.
INTO president Maire Ni Chuinneagain said the embargo on posts will affect school leadership.
"There are many duties and complex tasks that need to be done in schools. Government is not going to get this work done for nothing," she said.
Members of ASTI also displayed their fury when they rejected a motion deploring the public service pension levy, claiming that the wording of the motion was too mild.
Delegates forced the union's Standing Committee to meet in special session last evening to come up with forms of action that will have an impact without hurting pupils. These will be discussed today.
- Katherine Donnelly, John Walshe and Ralph Riegel
Congress votes to shun duties of retired colleagues [Irish Examiner]
- Published: 16 April 2009
Source: Irish Examiner
PRIMARY school teachers will refuse to take on the administrative duties of colleagues who retire, because hundreds of vacancies will not be filled under a public service promotions ban.
The move by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) is likely to lead to major managerial headaches for school boards, as well as leaving the Department of Education and other State agencies with a shortage of information and paperwork relating to schools.
Delegates at the INTO annual congress in Letterkenny also decided that the industrial action should involve the union's 30,000 members refusing to co-operate in other duties.
However, teachers will not be instructed to take any steps that might affect teaching and learning for pupils.
A one-day strike before 3,300 primary schools close for summer holiday, in defence of public service jobs and funding, will also be sought in conjunction with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) on foot of a motion passed by INTO members on Tuesday.
The Department of Education announced the embargo on promotions to posts of responsibility last month, meaning no vacancies for assistant principals or special duties posts would be filled.
The roles carry annual allowances of almost e9,000 and e4,000 respectively, with duties including co-ordination of special needs resources, compiling and returning pupil data to the department, and developing school policies in areas such as attendance and behaviour.
Around 700 such posts become vacant each year due to retirements or holders of those jobs being promoted to principal or deputy principal.
The emergency motion passed yesterday will mean that all members will be directed not to undertake those duties where a post is unfilled because of the promotion embargo, while the range of non-cooperation measures will be decided at a conference in May or June. The industrial action is also being taken in protest at the cap on teacher numbers in September 2010, at the same level as those which will be in schools next autumn, meaning a likely further increase in class sizes because an extra 10,000 pupils are expected to begin primary school next year.
Máire Ni Chuinneagáin, who became INTO president yesterday, said the union executive will direct teachers not to undertake additional duties where posts of responsibilities are not filled in schools as a result of the embargo on posts.
"The embargo on posts will affect school leadership, there are many duties and complex tasks that need to be done in schools. Government is not going to get this work done for nothing," she said.
The day of action sanctioned earlier this week at the INTO congress is part of a further series of measures, including withdrawal from modernisation measures, if teachers' pay is further frozen by the Government.
The likelihood of such a one-day strike, which the union's executive has been instructed to seek with ICTU by the end of June, will largely depend on what progress is made in social partnership talks which resume next week.
Chaos in schools as teachers plan cutbacks revolt [Herald]
- Published: 16 April 2009
Source: Herald
Thursday April 16 2009
SCHOOLS face widespread disruption in September as teacher unions backed a campaign of industrial action against Government cutbacks.
Angry primary and second-level teachers hardened their position on industrial action after another stormy day at teachers' conferences.
Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe, who was heckled by members of the Teachers Union of Ireland during his address to their annual conference in Cork, later appealed to teachers to use "common sense" before going ahead with threats of industrial action.
Teachers needed to think long and hard about the consequences of strike action on classrooms nationwide, the Minister said.
But even as he was speaking to the TUI in Cork, INTO delegates in Co Donegal, were engaged in a unanimous vote supporting industrial action.
Members of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) debated an emergency motion endorsing industrial action. Delegates who had earlier rejected a weaker motion on the levy, demanded the stronger motion at the ASTI conference in Killarney.
All three teacher unions, like other public service unions, have already been mandated by members to take up to two days industrial action over the levy and the government's handling of the economic crisis.
INTO is set to back calls for a day of action -- in conjunction with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions -- which could lead to schools closing.
effects
The 800 primary teachers at the INTO conference said it was not their intention to impact directly on teaching and learning, but there will be inevitable side effects to their actions.
They plan to refuse to co-operate with a range of administrative tasks and not to fill in for certain posts left empty by a recruitment embargo.
The INTO unanimously condemned the cap on teacher numbers and the embargo on filling posts, including assistant principal jobs, leaving about 700 promotional posts in primary schools vacant.
mlavery@herald.ie
- Michael Lavery
Carr highlights teachers "anger and outrage" at cutbacks Minister faces wrath at INTO Congress [Donegal Democrat]
- Published: 16 April 2009
Source: Donegal Democrat
By Staff reporter
Teachers who had neither hand, act or part in the country's economic collapse "bitterly resent have their pockets picked" to bail out bankers, speculators and developers, INTO General Secretary John Carr told the Minister for Education at this week's congress in Letterkenny.
Shortly after Minister Batt O'Keefe had met a hostile reaction to his own comments with a number of delegates walking out just as he began to speak, the Donegal born union official recited a litany of failures on the Government's part in terms of eduADVERTISEMENTcational cutbacks.
"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 this country about the government's handling of the economic crisis and the way your government has failed to protect primary schools in all parts of the country," blasted Mr. Carr.
In his address, the Minister said he respected the sincerity and conviction behind what had been stated at the conference and insisted there was no disagreement between them on the need for spending on education or for limiting as best they could the impact of cutbacks.
"Some people are understandably angry about some of the decisions we've had to make. Being in Government is definitely not about being popular," he maintained.
Even though education was one of the few Departments where expenditure was increasing this year, Minister O'Keefe admitted that some of the decisions they had taken had caused "real challenges" for teachers and principals. "I'm not underestimating these challenges. But I'm asking for your cooperation during these difficult times."
His remarks drew immediate wrath from other speakers and from the body of the congress with placards being held up highlighting elements of the cutbacks.
"Teachers who had neither hand, act nor part in the country's economic collapse bitterly resent having their pockets picked to bail out bankers, speculators and developers. As educationalists, we totally oppose your government forcing the children we teach to pay for the recklessness and greed of Ireland's casino capitalists by way of fewer resources and lower investment," the INTO General Secretary reacted.
Job Losses
Job losses, class sizes, inequality, library grants and other issues formed the basis of Mr. Carr's address with criticism too of the prefabricated classrooms.
Describing them as unacceptable, the official declared: "Prefabs are economically nonsensical and educationally indefensible. Phase out their use completely. No child should be sentenced to eight years of primary education in a prefab," the General Secretary demanded.
Mr. Carr went on: "We have, as a nation, to do more for our children. We need more real supports for vulnerable children, families and primary schools. Every child, irrespective of the circumstances into which they are born, has the right to achieve their potential. Primary education is their future - it is Ireland's future."
Among the local fraternal delegates who attended the congress were His Lordship, Most Rev. Philip Boyce, Bishop of Raphoe; Rev
Cash-strapped schools may need funds from parents [Irish Examiner]
- Published: 16 April 2009
Source: Irish Examiner
PARENTS may have to pay more to cash-strapped schools because of budgetary cutbacks, the ASTI conference heard.
Delegates were told that schools relying heavily on voluntary contributions will be forced to ask parents for more.
Budget 2009 abolished a range of grants to second-level schools, including grants for Transition Year, physics and chemistry, Leaving Cert Applied and Leaving Cert Vocational.
Out of 20 schools questioned by the union, 15 said they would be seeking an increase in parents' contributions to make up for the funding shortfall.
ASTI general secretary John White said the cuts were penetrating the "very soul" of schools.
"The research makes it clear that the entire school community will suffer because of the cutbacks — students, parents and teachers," he said.
The conference was also told more than half of second-level schools could be forced to reduce subject choice for senior cycle students from September.
Nine of the 20 schools surveyed said they would be curtailing, or dropping, programmes such as the Leaving Cert Applied and Transition Year.
