THE PROMOTIONS ban is crippling the day-to-day running of schools and hurting the most vulnerable students, according to the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI).
The union says the ban on filling middle-management posts (assistant principal and special duties posts) makes it impossible for schools to fulfil certain legislative duties. It is threatening the health and safety of students and making it very difficult for schools to deal with such issues as absenteeism and student disruption, the union says.
The ban on promotions – introduced last year – is in addition to the 13 per cent pay cut suffered by teachers as a result of the pension levy and the pay cuts.
The TUI and the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) are limiting co-operation with various Department of Education initiatives in response to these cuts. The unions are also banning co-operation with “after hours” parent-teacher meetings.
Yesterday, the TUI warned the surge in teacher retirements would deepen the problems caused by the promotions ban. Over 150 principals and deputy principals retired from vocational schools alone last year.
In most cases, these posts are subsequently filled by holders of middle-management posts within the same or other schools. When these teachers take up their new positions, their middle-management posts are left vacant because of the embargo on the filling of public service posts.
Vacant middle-management posts make it increasingly difficult to track and mentor students and to make required returns on absenteeism to the school attendance body. “It is no exaggeration to say that the continuing block on the filling of these posts represents a threat to the safe operation of schools,” said Peter MacMenamin, TUI general secretary.