Almost 120 second-level schools and 50 primary schools closed early for Christmas, according to figures circulated by the Department of Education yesterday.
Most of the schools claim they had legitimate reasons for closing, such as school development planning day, curriculum planning, bereavements and staff meetings.
Sources claim when these are taken into account, the number of schools likely to fall foul of the Department will be small. The Department of Education has threatened to block benchmarking payments if schools are found to have closed early for the holiday period.
The figures were disclosed at a meeting of the teachers' conciliation council. The gathering heard that most of the schools involved had provided an explanation to the Department. Whether these are sufficient will be considered at the next conciliation meeting.
The figures were released as teacher unions and the Department of Education finally reached agreement on the issue of parent-teacher meetings.
The ASTI, TUI and now the INTO have agreed new arrangements, and teachers will shortly be paid the 9.5 per cent promised to them as part of the benchmarking process.
The INTO general secretary, Mr John Carr, praised the role of Mr Gerard Durcan SC, who was the arbitrator who managed to hammer out the agreement.
Mr John White, acting general secretary of the ASTI, said the final obstacle to paying teachers the 9.5 per cent had been removed.
The school year became standardised following an agreement in the Sustaining Progress national pay deal. According to a circular sent out by the Department, schools cannot shut any earlier than December 24th. However, exemptions are provided.
Second-level teachers concluded an agreement with the Department on parent-teacher meetings on Monday night, and yesterday's talks concerned the primary sector.
It has been agreed that a mandatory parent-teacher meeting must be held each year in primary schools. It should take place between 3.15 p.m. and 5.45 p.m.
The INTO, which represents primary teachers, last night welcomed the deal, and said it hoped this would clear the way for benchmarking to resume.
Earlier the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, welcomed the agreement with the secondary teachers.
"An essential part of the new arrangements is the agreement that parents waiting to be seen at the formal finish time of 6.45 p.m. will be accommodated within reason. This in my view is preferable to having any defined finish time. Furthermore arrangements must be made to facilitate parents who, for whatever reason, cannot make the formal meeting at all."