ASTI backs industrial action

Sir, – An easy narrative for journalists to hang their opinions on for this dispute is: pesky teachers in secure jobs ask broke nation for money. It is more complex than that. Few teachers expect pay cuts to be reversed because of industrial action. Then why take action?

First, ASTI teachers don’t trust the Government. Croke Park was meant to run to the end of this year – not July. They trust even less this Government promising what the next government will do, in 2018.

Second, acceptance of Haddington Road means de facto acceptance of the new Junior Certificate, with its incumbent problems. Does anybody believe teachers can be fully objective in marking their own students? Will a Gonzaga school cert really be equal to that of a disadvantaged VEC?

Third, with the erosion of management posts in schools and a plethora of initiatives from Minister for Education, Ruairí Quinn, we want the pause button pressed so we can concentrate on teaching/discipline and not some poorly resourced initiative.

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Lastly, we are tired of bully-boy deals: accept this or we will make things worse for you.

I look forward to a more truthful narrative but I won’t hold my breath. – Yours, etc,

BARRY HAZEL,

ASTI CEC,

Killarney Road,

Bray,

Co Wicklow.