THE DEPARTMENT of Education has expressed concern over a directive issued by a post-primary teachers’ union to its members that they should not teach classes where pupil numbers exceed certain levels.
It was responding yesterday to a Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI)instruction to members in almost 300 secondary schools that they should withdraw from a class if numbers exceeded 30 for a general subject, or 24 for a practical subject, such as science.
“There are no exceptions and deviation from this position will not be tolerated by the union,” the directive stated.
“The executive committee has further decided that, in the event of members not complying with this directive, consideration will be given to the bringing of charges of unworthy conduct against the member or members in question.
“This could result in disciplinary charges being taken against the member or members.”
In a statement yesterday the union said its directive was not an instruction to teachers to walk out of classes. It said it had followed the guidelines of the Department of Education and Science in relation to class sizes and had advised teachers of these limits annually.
TUI general secretary Peter MacMenamin said the union had done “nothing” this year that it had not done every year for the last 30 years.
Speaking on RTÉ radio, he said: “We are drawing teachers’ attention to the fact that the Department of Education and Science has in the past and over many years issued guidelines on class sizes. We are saying to teachers ‘these are the guidelines’.
“It would be irresponsible and unprofessional to simply walk out and leave a class unattended and we are not under any circumstances advising our members to do that.”
He said teachers had always been advised, in circumstances where class numbers exceeded agreed levels, to advise the principal or deputy principal and to bring the entire class to a safe place until the situation was resolved. The teachers remained, in the meantime, available for work.
“Our members are and have over the years been going beyond the call of duty, and particularly this year with additional stresses and strains on the system caused by the cutbacks, people will be asked to go beyond.”
A spokesman for the Department of Education said it was “disappointed” the TUI had adopted the stance it had.
“The Department is concerned that, at a time of real difficulty for the country, a union would direct its members under threat of disciplinary action to frustrate the efforts of schools to deliver from within their resources the best possible education to our children.
“We’d urge the TUI, and indeed all other unions in the education sector, to work with us in a spirit of co-operation and in solidarity with those people, including many parents, who’ve lost their jobs in this recession.”
Rose Tully, spokeswoman for the National Parents’ Council Post Primary, said the organisation was “very disappointed” the school year was starting on a negative note.
The union represents over 14,500 teachers in post-primary, higher and further education.