The loss of hundreds of members to a rival union has forced the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) into a campaign to try and win them back.

The elitism in many fee-paying schools masks unfair treatment of some staff being paid up to one -third less than even the lowest-paid young teachers at other schools.

SCHOOLS need directly to address and offer guidance to gay and lesbian students to avoid them becoming suicide risks, the ASTI conference was told yesterday.

Secondary schools are to get guidelines on how to combat the harassment of gay and lesbian teachers.