Principals fear winter of discontent over duties

SCHOOL principals fear a winter of discontent for the country’s 730 second-level schools if teacher unions do not lift industrial action in their continuing opposition to the Croke Park pay deal.

The first of two crucial meetings of the second-level unions takes place tomorrow. Ahead of these meetings the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) said it would be very helpful to keep schools running properly if they agree to suspend a number of directives in place since the last school year.

There is an order in place by the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) that members must not take on duties of middle management positions left vacant because of a ban on promotions.