THE Teachers Union of Ireland claims the distinction of being the first Irish trade union to have a home page on the World Wide Web.
The page describes the union, advocates education as a public service and outlines the services it provides for its members.
The TUI Internet service is an experimental development intended to provide advice and information to union members and others interested in trade union and educational matters.
The TUI hopes to develop the service as an interactive information, communication and training vehicle for its members. It also wants to further develop co-operative networking with other unions as well as connect into education sites on the Internet.
"Technology can bring people together and it is vital that information technology is relevant to the needs of all sections of our society," says Tony Deffely, president of the TUI.
He notes that Dublin Institute of Technology and the regional technical colleges are on the Internet.
"Now is the time for all second-level schools to be connected to the Internet as part of the process of providing qualified students to meet the needs of the technological age. The Government and particularly the Department of Education should take the lead to provide up to date information services on the Internet," says Deffely.
