An insider's guide to education

Teacher's Pet: That ASTI decision to vote massively in favour of a return to the Congress tent represents a huge victory for the union's sensible general secretary, John White.

Less than 20 per cent of the union's members bothered to vote on the issue, a further sign of the lethargy that has settled on Planet ASTI. White has spent much of the past three years putting out fires. Now that the militants have been seen off, attention is beginning to focus on a root-and-branch review of the union, which is a shadow of its former self. The challenge now? Rebuild the relationship between ASTI head office and staffrooms all over the country - and raise the union's ever-diminishing public profile.

*That TUI survey on discipline - revealed on the eve of a Department of Education report on the issue - represented a masterful coup by the union. It was a reminder of how the TUI is, at last, punching its weight under press officer Conor Griffin. Not surprisingly, the union's assistant general secretary, Declan Glynn, who conducted the survey, is also gaining huge kudos at the TUI dacha in Rathgar.

*Tell the barman to stock up on Dutch Gold! Yes, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) conference is under way in Ennis, Co Clare from this morning.The USI, under president Tony McDonnell, has been through the usual pre-conference in-fighting. Both the deputy president and the education officer have departed, citing what the rock bands used to call musical differences. Happily, a new press officer is being lined up to bring the union back from the media dead.

*Was it just us or did Mary Hanafin show a nice sense of comic timing on Dustin's Daily News last week? And we laughed when Dustin warned how the mushrooming Gaelscoileanna sector could produce more annoying Hectors. Fair play, as Ronan Keating might say, to the Minister for doing the gig. Now, any Ministerial takers for Podge and Rodge?

*What is going on in the economics department out in UCD? A vacancy for professor of national economics, to succeed the venerable Prof Brendan Walsh, has been advertised internally. But, here's the rub, there is no mention of national, just plain prof of economics. Is the job moving to some heavy hitter from overseas? A nation holds its breath.

Got any education gossip? E-mail us, in confidence, at teacherspet@irish-times.ie