The ASTI is facing further internal conflict over a controversial document on pay which has alarmed some members of the union's leadership.
About 50 members of the union's central executive are pressing for an emergency meeting to discuss why the document has not been circulated to members. The document outlines 13 reasons why benchmarking is not suitable for teachers and the education system. It was prepared by five members of the executive and they want it to be presented and discussed by the executive as soon as possible.
However, the report is not looked on favourably by some members of the union's leadership who favour engaging with the benchmarking body. There has also been a furious response by some members to comments by ASTI president, Ms Catherine Fitzpatrick, in which she said the union needed to re-evaluate its strategy.
"We need to step back and devise a strategy which has the potential to be successful," she told The Irish Times. Some members said yesterday they would be raising the comments at the next ASTI standing committee meeting and asking if Ms Fitzpatrick should have made them.
Meanwhile a row between INTO general secretary Senator Joe O'Toole and ASTI members continued. In a letter to an ASTI member, Senator O'Toole said he made critical comments about the ASTI because of the frustration of trying to get pay rises for INTO members. He said: "It gave me no pleasure whatever to do so. I am well aware of the damaging implications for me personally. However, I was faced with a situation where we in the INTO are being frustrated in our attempts to make gains for teachers by the ASTI. Currently, for instance, we cannot progress an increase in the supervision money because of their intransigence.
"I have a simple approach. I will take on any obstacle between our INTO members and improvements in their rewards. I don't care where those obstacle are and if they happen to be in the ASTI, then so be it. "
School managers said most schools operated normally again yesterday, although some admitted exam students only.
• Teachers often get little assistance or information to help them deal adequately with special needs children, a conference was told yesterday. Senator O'Toole said primary teachers had limited access to professional development in the area. "The Department of Education needs to put in place a comprehensive programme of professional development which is widely available to teachers."