Striving to do better for our students

TODAY, 17,000 teachers who are members of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland begin industrial action.

This action involves teachers withdrawing from formal meetings which take place outside of school hours, non-cooperation with in-service training for the new junior cycle framework, and a refusal to undertake duties arising from middle management posts which are vacant due to a government moratorium.

While the industrial action is designed to minimise any impact on students’ education, it is regrettable that we have been forced to cause disruption to the normal operation of schools in order to demonstrate to the Government the seriousness of our concerns. Industrial action is not something teachers desire, but we have taken every opportunity up to now to make clear to the Government the depth of feeling amongst teachers about what is going on in our second-level schools.