There was no breakthrough in the teachers' pay dispute reached in a meeting between the Minister for Education, Mr Noel Dempsey, and the secondary teachers' union ASTI.
In a statement, issued following the meeting, ASTI said: "The Minister reiterated the Government position in relation to the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF) and stated that the pay of public servants must be dealt with within the framework of national pay agreements".
However, ASTI said Mr Dempsey indicated his willingness to explore other issues in relation to teaching in another forum and also a willingness to have a further meeting with the union.
The ASTI repeated its request to the Minister to defer the introduction of new syllabuses in schools this year, saying ASTI members have not participated in the preparation for the introduction of these new courses.
But the Minister again requested the ASTI not to use syllabus change as a form of industrial action.
The ASTI has been in dispute with the Department of Education for over two years regarding pay.