‘Teachers should not close schools’

A PARENTS’ leader has said unions representing teachers should remain in talks instead of closing down schools in the proposed public service strike next month.

The country’s 4,000 schools could be shut on Tuesday, November 24, if the three unions representing primary and second-level teachers back industrial action in ballots over the next few weeks.

Jim Moore, president of the National Parents Council-Post Primary (NPC-PP), said parents acknowledge the right of workers to take action, but they would be concerned about schools being closed for a day.

“Everybody is going to have their own opinion about the benefit or the appropriateness of the action or any activities that will interfere with the school day. While everybody is entitled to take particular actions, we would feel our children’s education shouldn’t be interrupted this way,” he said.

Mr Moore said NPC-PP still has concerns about the directive of second level teacher unions that members should not take part in parent-teacher meetings outside school hours.

The Teachers’ Union of Ireland representing 14,500 second level teachers and institute of technology lecturers will have the results of its ballot for action up to strike on November 13, while the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland is sending out ballot papers to its 18,000 members today. The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) will ballot 30,000 members at branch meetings from November 2 to 12, and the Irish Federation of University Teachers is also expected to have the outcome of its ballot in mid-November.