School heads slam teachers’ No vote on Junior Cycle

PRINCIPALS have criticised teachers for not co-operating with Junior Cycle reform.

Mary Nihill, president of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, said she is ‘concerned that the current impasse is sapping the life blood out of what was and is a great opportunity to re- envision how we teach and how students learn in our second-level schools.’

Her comments on the Junior Cycle reform come as the Teachers Union of Ireland joined the Association of Secondary Teachers in rejecting the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

Ms Nihill, speaking in relation to the Junior Cycle reform at the NAPD’s annual conference in Galway, said unease and anger amongst teachers ‘is destroying energy and creativity’, and the ASTI’s decision to reject Junior Cert reform was ‘deeply disappointing’.

The union voted 55 per cent against the Junior Cert reform, and 70 per cent for renewed i ndustrial action, i ncluding school stoppages.

The union issued a call for this year’s first round of schoolbased assessment for second years to be postponed until this time next year.

However, the TUI, voted 69 per cent in favour of the Junior Cycle reforms following a recommendation from leadership.

This means that in dual-union schools, some teachers will be cooperating with the department while others won’t.

Ms Nihill said: ‘We are now back at school for nearly two months and the uncertainty around the Junior Cycle seems set to continue.

‘The added difficulty is that it appears there now exists divi- sion between teachers even in the one in staffroom.’

Ms Nihill told Minister Jan O’Sullivan that due to previous budget cuts teachers are now faced with initiative- overload, salary cuts, extra work, limited career prospects [ f or some teachers] and a lack of adequate middle leadership structures.

Minister O’Sullivan welcomed the TUI’s endorsement of the Junior Cycle and said the ASTI’s rejection was a ‘real shame’. However, she said: ‘I am determined to push ahead with the implementation of the new Junior Cycle.’

Meanwhile, the minister has said the Government will be operating on the basis that the public service in general has agreed the LRA.

Her comments came after both unions, the ASTI and TUI, have voted to reject the LRA.

TUI members rejected the LRA by a margin of 92 per cent on a turnout of over 59 per cent. And l ast night the ASTI’s Standing Committee passed a motion stating that it would not be bound by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions Public Services Committee’s decision to accept the LRA. Ms O’Sullivan said: ‘Congress in general has passed an agreement and agreed the LRA and that stands, it was agreed by public servants and it will deliver significant improvements for public servants.’

ASTI General Secretary Pat King said teachers believed there was very little on offer in the Agreement, particularly for the 30 per cent who were in part-time, precarious employment, on lower pay scales, and in an inferior pension scheme.

The ASTI leadership will meet again today, after a session yesterday, to decide its next move.

‘It’s deeply disappointing’