Bill's referral warmly welcomed

IT WAS FITTING that this year's INTO congress should have ended with the announcement that the President, Mrs Robinson, was referring the Employment Equality Bill to the Supreme Court.

The Bill had loomed over much of the discussion, drawing vociferous criticism from ordinary members and the executive throughout the conference.

The INTO general secretary, Senator Joe O'Toole, described it as a great, day for teachers and democracy, and it was hard not to feel that the President's decision was a vindication of the INTO's opposition to the Bill.

This year's congress was, in some ways, a sedate affair. Partnership 2000 had been agreed, despite the presence on the agenda of a motion slapping the executive on the wrist for not putting Partnership 2000 to a ballot of the membership.

Yet there was still enough frustration at the actions of the Department of Education to ensure that a steady stream of delegates awaited their turn at the speakers' podium. The problems of untrained personnel acting as substitutes in primary schools evoked considerable anger, with one delegate describing them as "glorified babysitters".

The problem of dealing with pupils with challenging behaviour, the difficulties faced by teachers in one-teacher schools, the underfunding of the remedial education services and the questionable application of the Breaking the Cycle programme were all addressed by delegates, with the Department of Education coming out worst from the fray.

The congress also gave the opportunity for the INTO to say a number of goodbyes: to outgoing president Liam McCloskey; to its treasurer and deputy general secretary Michael Moroney, who retired after almost three decades of service to the union; and, perhaps slightly less emotionally, to Minister for Education Niamh Bhreathnach.

The visit of the Minister produced what was probably the picture of the year as far as the three teachers' congresses were concerned: a grinning Joe O'Toole clutching the shoulders of a distinctly unimpressed Niamh Bhreathnach, who looked like she had just been told Joe was moving in next door to her.

The picture duly inspired a caption competition at the congress, though a number of the suggestions are unprintable in a family newspaper.

O'Toole's favourite was almost certainly the best: "Senator, keep your hands off my RSE!"