No debate on threat to halt teaching of English

The possible withdrawal from teaching of English in their row with Education Minister Ruairi Quinn over the replacement of the Junior Certificate may be put to ASTI members in the autumn.

But the proposal was not debated after an attempt to put an emergency motion to the secondary teacher union’s annual convention ended. The leadership explained to delegates in a private session that the question had been largely dealt with by its standing committee and 180-member central executive council earlier this year.

Fintan O’Mahony, a member of the 23-member ASTI standing committee, told the convention that he would withdraw the proposed motion. But he said he would bring it up again at executive level.