Union protests school over teacher's blocked attendance at Teaching Council meetings

The Teaching Council office in Maynooth. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

A teachers’ union is to protest outside a school today in a dispute over attendance at meetings of the Teaching Council, the professional standards body for the profession.

The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) claims Presentation College Athenry is refusing to allow one of its teachers, an elected representative of the Teaching Council, to attend Teaching Council meetings.

Niall Duddy represents second-level teachers across 13 counties, including Galway, on the Teaching Council.

It is understood his attendance has been blocked for more than a year, including attendance at meetings of the full Teaching Council and certain subcommittee meetings.

ASTI president Miriam Duggan said the Teaching Council works in the “interest of the public” to promote the highest standards in teaching and education in Ireland.

“When a school board of management refuses to allow a teacher to attend Teaching Council meetings, this has a debilitating impact on the work of the Teaching Council," she said.

“It means the elected teacher cannot properly fulfill her or his role under statute. It denies thousands of teachers their right to be represented on the Teaching Council.” 

The protest outside the school will be attended by both ASTI president Miriam Duggan and general secretary Kieran Christie.

A spokesman for the Teaching Council said it is aware of the matter.

“To date, the Council has benefited from, and has been grateful for, the discretion and flexibility exercised by employers, including school patrons and boards of management, in facilitating attendance at meetings by members of the Council.” 

He added that the Teaching Council has no role in employment arrangements for its members who serve on the Council in a voluntary capacity.

The Teaching Council’s work is overseen, by the Council itself which comprises of 37 members.

This includes 11 primary teachers, nine of whom are elected and two of whom are teacher union nominees, and 11 post-primary teachers, seven of whom are elected and four of whom are teacher union nominees.

Presentation College Athenry said in a statement that in this case, "the staff member" is "requesting release from teaching duties, which from experience amounts to one day per week". 

"Such regular absences from class teaching, which have been sanctioned in previous years, are disruptive for students, not least because it is extremely difficult to procure and retain a substitute teacher for one day per week. The school has to put the interests of students first."

It said: "The Board of Management continues to encourage all staff to pursue continuous professional development opportunities to further their personal and professional development."

It added that the "continuity of learning for students is the priority" for the school.