Teachers angry at Minister

Teachers in four schools are "extremely angry" at the lack of sympathy from Minister Micheal Martin and the Department of Education and Science over their loss of one teacher each. They have voted to take industrial action on the issue.

The schools are the Central Model Senior School and Scoil Plas Mhuire, both on Dublin's north side; Dooagh National School in Achill, Co Mayo; and Castletara National School in Ballyhaise, Co Cavan. Three are in disadvantaged areas and were benefitting from the Breaking the Cycle initiative

A spokesman for the Department said yesterday that "from the Department's point of view both schools in Dublin have excellent pupil-teacher ratios. Those kids are being very well looked after. They are being disadvantaged even further by this union-led industrial action."

In the case of the Central Model Senior School, he said, "it's a matter for the school to organise the classes. They are depriving the kids of the benefits they had" in the junior classes from the Breaking the Cycle initiative.

The Minister is patron of this school, but, in the view of Austin Corcoran, INTO area representative for Dublin City (North) and North Kildare, yesterday, he is not behaving like a patron. "He is not acting like someone who is supporting them. He is there to look after the teachers and the students, but his actions are designed to put the school in a poor light and to be unhelpful."

Public meetings will be held in the four schools late next week and pickets will be placed on the schools on the day of industrial action - Tuesday, October 6th.

Corcoran says that teachers in the two Dublin schools are "extremely angry" about Department comments. "The situation in both is that they have lost a teacher each. They've lost one out of nine in both cases.

"The teachers are not looking for anything for themselves. They're fighting for the kids. We see no reason why two temporary teachers could not be put into the schools."

Rose Sexton, principal of Castletara National School in Co Cavan, says: "We are annoyed. We can't carry on . . . we have sufficient enrolment for a teacher."

Sean Rowley, INTO executive member for Sligo/Mayo, says that the school was benefiting from the Breaking the Cycle initiative but it has now lost that extra third teacher. "They have now lost one-third of the school's greatest resource, its teachers."