More than 2,000 people may be needed to keep hundreds of second-level schools open from March 4th when ASTI members withdraw from supervision duties, it was predicted last night.
Provisional estimates by school managers suggest this number, possibly more, will be needed to replace the teachers who normally provide supervision and substitution services in schools.
Almost 530 schools will be affected by the ASTI withdrawal. Each school will need at least two people for super-vision/substitution, but others often require four or five at any one time, said Mr George O'Callaghan, general secretary of the Joint Managerial Body (JMB), which represents hundreds of voluntary secondary schools. He said 2,000 was probably a conservative estimate.
In the currently tight labour market recruiting this number of people in less than a month is likely to cause huge difficulties for the Department of Education.
Despite these difficulties, the Minister for Education, Dr Woods, yesterday gave an "unqualified guarantee" that schools would be kept open. He said the Department would provide money to do this, and the guarantee was backed by the Government.
However, Mr O'Callaghan said he did not know how Dr Woods could give such a guarantee. "While we are determined to keep schools open, I cannot give a guarantee and I don't know how the Minister can give one," he said.
"We have to work together, but school managers and principals are extremely concerned about how this is going to work. They already have major workloads running their schools, and this is going to seriously add to that."
The ASTI has voted to stop providing the service and has refused to accept an offer of €34 per hour for the work from the Department of Education.
The Department's officials will this week meet school managers to discuss the contingency plans. It is understood members of the public, and possibly parents, will be paid €34 per hour for the work.
It is understood the Department will give funds to schools to recruit people from local communities.
They will be given 1½ days' training and possibly more once they begin working at the school. The people chosen for supervision/substitution will also have to be vetted, which could also take some time.
Teachers who want to provide supervision will also be eligible for the €34 payment, despite the ASTI directive to withdraw.
Dr Woods gave his unqualified guarantee during a meeting of the National Parents' Council (Post-Primary).
"I gave them an unqualified guarantee - with the full backing of the Government - that all necessary resources are available to ensure that normal school operations will be unaffected by the withdrawal of ASTI members at short notice from the duties which they have carried out for so many years," he said afterwards.
"Naturally, parents and parent bodies are anxious that the work of students, particularly those preparing for State examinations, is not affected. I was happy to reassure the National Parents' Council (Post-Primary) that I am satisfied that the preparations of my Department - in co-operation with the management bodies - will ensure that schools will remain open and functioning normally", the Minister said.
