Union action could close some schools

PROBLEMS WITH State examination co-ordination, disciplinary and pastoral care and even school closures are among the possible effects of an escalation of action by second-level teacher unions.

In recent days, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) have directed teachers not to cover unfilled management posts of teachers who resign or take maternity leave.

This comes ahead of an expected surge in retirements by post-holding teachers in September in order to retain their 2009 pension levels.

About 900 teachers, many of whom held posts, retired in the last year, with about 1,000 expected to retire by September, according to the ASTI.

School management bodies yesterday expressed concern about how schools would operate in September. The Joint Managerial Body (JMB), which represents some 400 voluntary secondary schools, is concerned that some schools will “struggle to function” if the issue is not resolved.

Some schools will be “decimated”, as their management structure will not exist and they will have no way to compensate due to the directive, said JMB general secretary Ferdia Kelly.

Michael Moriarty, general secretary of the Irish Vocational Education Association, said the directive would have “serious implications” for schools, which he says are “already badly affected”.

With an increased number of post-holders retiring over the summer, “it could well mean that the administration of some badly affected schools will collapse”, he said.

He urged the Government to assess the impact of the moratorium “before we reach a point where some schools will be unable to function”.

Parents yesterday expressed concern that the union directive would compound the situation.

Rose Tully of the National Parents Council Post-Primary urged all sides to sit down and talk. “It is the only chance our kids have to get an education,” she said.

The ASTI said although the directive came into force on March 8th, it would not have any real effect until September when people had retired.

ASTI general secretary John White said large schools that lost four or five assistant principals may not be able to operate.

“We are very concerned that some schools might close,” he said, but added that there still a lot of time for people to talk.

The TUI said the “devastating effect” of the moratorium on schools would be “greatly worsened” in coming months due to further retirements.

However, principals said it was they rather than the Department of Education who would feel the impact of the directive.

Clive Byrne, director of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, said many schools were under “unsustainable pressure”.

A spokesman for Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe said he regretted that the action was being taken as it would make it more difficult for schools to manage.

Primary schools may also be affected, with the executive council of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation expected to decide on similar action in a fortnight.

St Paul’s College: Three Retirements

ST PAUL’S College in Raheny, Dublin, has lost three year heads through retirement since the introduction of the moratorium on promotions by the Department of Education.

However, principal Ciarán McCormack said his school is doing better than many others that have lost five or six posts.

Pastoral care is among the duties carried out by the year heads.

“These are the type of issues that need to be handled on the spot, and not something you can come back to in two weeks,” he said.

The issues “can range from the mundane, such as a young lad feeling unwell who needs a little minding”, or parents who have concern about a son’s progress in school, he said.

The year heads enable the smooth running of the school by addressing concerns to individual students who could become potentially upset if a problem was not sorted out, he said.

Mr McCormack said quite a number of important posts in schools, such as exam co-ordinator, could be affected.

The teacher in that post organises the in-house exam timetable, the supervision rotation, and also feeds material back to the State Examinations Commission, he said.

“If that post-holder retires in some school then the school will be struggling to get that work done,” he said.

While St Paul’s has assistant year heads to help fill the gap, the workload for principals and deputy principals was increasing, he said.

The core business of classroom work should not be affected by the directive, he added.

Among the roles affected by the union directive are pastoral and disciplinary functions, examinations secretary, co-ordinator of State exams, responsibility for book allocation, sports, subject co-ordination and school transport co-ordination.