Moratorium ‘damaging young teachers and pupils’

The Government must remove its contentious ban on appointing new public sector staff if it wants to stop damaging young teachers and the students depending on them.

Speaking on the first day of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) conference in Co Wexford, delegates said the policy is stretching current teachers too far, while preventing others from gaining work.

And they said the policy is also damaging children by not providing them with as detailed a service as they deserve.

“The moratorium must be lifted so schools can still function without undue burdens being placed on students and teachers,” the ASTI Fermoy branch said.

“In recent years we have given a service in spite of swingeing cuts and sneaky cuts, but our schools are struggling to give pupils the quality of service.”

Turning to the plight of young teachers, they said: “Those who do not have permanent contracts, those whose employment rights are weak... are fearfully doing everything they can and everything suggested in order to get some kind of full-time position.”

They said this meant many young teachers are being left with no option than to perform tasks that are not their responsibility in order to find full-time work in the future.

Sally Maguire, incoming ASTI president, said the situation is particular stark as “30% of our members do not have full-time, permanent jobs”.