A lesson in honour for the Government

The recent decision of the 17,000 members of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland to reject the Haddington Road proposals was pragmatic.

Secondary teachers were offered a straight choice: cram extra work into an overloaded schedule or accept another pay cut. It is not surprising they opted for the latter.

OECD reports show that Irish second-level teachers spend more time teaching their students than do their counterparts in the majority of other countries, and that they work with the largest class sizes in Europe.

The workload, both teaching and administrative, has increased significantly in recent years, when vital resources and personnel have been stripped from our schools.

It seems that every few weeks a new initiative is rolled out by the Department of Education, demanding more and more out-of-classroom work for teachers, without any consideration of where these fit in an overwhelmed system.

For decades, teachers have papered over the cracks in the under-funded educational system by volunteering for work that is the role of support staff in most other European countries. By twice rejecting the Croke Park 2/ Haddington Road proposals, ASTI teachers have protected both their working conditions and the quality of the education they provide to their students.

The Government, through draconian legalisation, has also secured the savings required. While it is not ideal, many teachers can accept this situation.

For the ASTI to embark on prolonged industrial action now could be an error. They should hold off, unless the Government makes another mistake.

A better option is to honour the commitments given under the Croke Park agreement. The infamous ‘33 hours’, and other work commitments, will then die a natural death, at the end of the current school year. Let the teachers show honour where the Government has shown none.

Kevin P McCarthy

MSc, HDE (ASTI member)

Killarney

Co Kerry