Teachers may strike over run-down schools

DOZENS of dilapidated primary schools could be closed by striking teachers as they protest against the lack of Government funding for modern buildings.

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation is considering a series of one-day strikes at some of the worst-affected schools to show its resolve on the issue.

INTO general secretary John Carr said teachers and parents at rundown schools were angry at the lack of action by Government on promises made at the last election.

“Those promises have not been fulfilled and now we believe we have got to take more aggressive action,” he said.

The possible strikes would require the approval of the INTO’s executive body, which will discuss the situation at its next meeting in early October.

Last night, Fine Gael education spokesperson Olwyn Enright called on Education Minister Noel Dempsey to explain the delay in announcing a multi-annual schools building budget.

“The minister has made very public remarks in the past about the challenge of securing funding for this project. He must report, publicly, whether he has been able to live up to the challenge and outline what progress, if any, has been made between his department and the Department of Finance,” she said.

In response, a spokesperson for Mr Dempsey said the matter was still under discussion with Charlie

McCreevy’s department. The Department of Finance indicated last night that five-year spending plans for a number of departments were being finalised for the budget in December.

The first schools building programme published in January set out how the 343 available this year was being spent.

Meanwhile, the row between the Department of Education and secondary teachers’ union ASTI over its refusal to teach the new Junior Certificate science syllabus has been referred to public services arbitrator Gerry Durkan. The arbitration process is expected to take a month to six weeks, but Mr Dempsey is threatening to withhold pay increases to ASTI members if they continue the ban.

A meeting of ASTI science teachers and department officials scheduled for today has been put back to Friday. They will discuss the union’s health and safety concerns over the revised course, which requires students to do more experiments.

The Teachers Union of Ireland executive will decide whether to allow members the option of teaching the new course at its meeting on Friday.