Government approach to education flawed - Lennon

ASTI General Secretary Mr Charlie Lennon today launched a scathing attack on the Government for what he described as its "flawed approach" to education.

Delegates at the ASTI conference in Donegal were told that the Government had wasted the opportunity afforded by the economic boom to put our education service on a par with the best in the world.

He slated the Government for its lack of investment in the service, saying after five years of prosperity, all education had was bureaucracy by the bucketful.

He said the Government had spurned the opportunity to reduce class sizes and improve pupil-teacher ratios.

The Government's failure to implement legislation was criticised. Mr Lennon said this had been done on an "a la carte basis", if at all.

The chance to make teaching an attractive and rewarding career to young graduates had been squandered by the Government, he said.

Yesterday some ASTI members were reported to be angry at Mr Lennon’s assertion in an interview with The Irish Times that a small dissident group within the union was fermenting division.

In a clear attempt to heal divisions among members, Mr Lennon today spoke of the need for the union to re-engage with its grass-root members.

He said: "We need to restore the traditional trade union values of mutual support and solidarity."

"We need to re-establish a strong united and focused organisation which has the support and strength of a committed and unified membership," he added.

He called for a reform of union structures and procedures.