ASTI says Richard Bruton’s stance is a serious escalation

The minister for education has said it will be “very difficult” to keep schools open next month when 18,000 ASTI members stop taking part in supervision and substitution duties.

His comments will ramp up fears about the impact on pupils of the planned industrial action by the teachers union as ASTI schools were due to close for seven days of strike action starting on Thursday, October 27.

Meanwhile, the ASTI has strongly rejected any need to close schools or to dock pay when its members stop taking part in substitution and supervision in November describing a controversial statement by the minister over the weekend as “a very serious escalation”.