Change, the one thing that stays the same

WE were promised change — but in the end it was more of the same.

After much hullabaloo about a different format to the Education Minister's attendance, it was more akin, as the union's general secretary John Carr phrased it from the podium, to the Stations of the Cross.

For almost two hours, he and Noel Dempsey read from prepared speeches but took three 15-minute sessions each to do so.

In keeping with Easter, there were religious references during proceedings.

Taking Mr Dempsey to task on the lack of pay parity between primary and second-level principals, Mr Carr lauded the qualities of leadership in the country's national schools.

He said the skills of principal teachers include the vision of a prophet, the moral strength of a nun and the patience of Job a trait many delegates struggled with as the debate dragged on.

Another religious season was recalled when the INTO boss told Mr Dempsey he lost the goodwill of teachers at Christmas, when inspectors called to check schools observed the agreed opening days.

"Sending out inspectors in a blaze of publicity to primary schools was seen by teachers as an affront to the profession, they were rightly angered by such an overreaction," he said to prolonged applause.

There were plenty of humorous moments and Mr Dempsey was not lagging in his contributions. Responding to criticisms on pay made by Mr Carr, he said Meath people are usually regarded as the ones to get in the first hit.

Mr Dempsey welcomed the change in that formula, but there was little overall change from the traditional polite swapping of speeches between the incumbent minister and union leaders.

As INTO president Sean Rowley said, it was a comprehensive exchange of views, but the jury is still out.