ASTI:SECONDARY SCHOOLS will lose an average of 2.6 temporary and part-time teachers in September, according to research by the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI).
Delegates said parents were unaware of the “catastrophe” that would see classes cut, programmes cancelled and subjects dropped.
“Students will be the big losers. Larger class sizes will impact negatively on safety, discipline and the ability of students to participate in their own learning,” said delegate Brendan Broderick, who urged members to highlight the plight of the non-permanent teacher.
ASTI research indicates that more than 1,000 part-time and temporary second-level teachers will lose their jobs in the coming months. The ASTI represents 18,000 second-level teachers, 3,000 of whom are part-time and tem-porary teachers.
“Temporary and part-time teachers make up a significant portion of the second-level teaching workforce,” ASTI general secretary John White told the union’s annual convention yesterday.
“Squeezing recently qualified, talented and motivated young second-level teachers out of the education service represents the squandering of a national resource.” An emotional Eilis Casey from Limerick spoke of how three of her young colleagues would be leaving in September to go on unemployment benefit.
“These serious young individuals have put years into their studies and pride into their teaching and because of the mismanagement of this country they are facing the dole queue.”
She told delegates the convention would be judged on how it supported younger members on non-permanent contracts.
Martha Goggin from Dublin suggested taking money off the pensions of “the likes of Michael Fingleton. Each million would pay at least 30 teachers for one year.”
Other delegates urged school management to come up with “creative” ways of holding on to non-permanent staff, but there was widespread condemnation for the notion of paying graduates a reduced salary.
The proposal by Prof Tom Collins, head of education at NUI Maynooth, to create a teacher apprenticeship system has received the support of Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe but has been dismissed by the ASTI as a “yellow-pack” solution.
“Tom Collins’s apprenticeship model is a betrayal of teachers,” said delegate Mark Walsh.
“We’re trying to protect our pay and conditions and he wants me to work for €20,000? If a school could take someone on €20,000 why would they take someone on €40,000? He should be put off the teaching council immediately for making such a suggestion.
“We’re trying to work around the Government cuts when we should be trying to fight the Government cuts. We should be prepared to go on strike before the end of the year to highlight this.”