ASTI action again clears classrooms

Galway - Lorna Siggins

Galway - Lorna Siggins

Secondary school teachers in Galway expressed determination, anger and frustration yesterday as some 33 schools in the region were affected by continued industrial action.

Mr George Moran, the ASTI regional representative, said there was full support for the action in the three branches of Galway city, east Galway and Tuam.

"Teachers have done too much voluntary work in years gone by, and this is something that the Government doesn't seem to recognise," he said. Mr Cammie Gallagher, a colleague of Mr Moran's in St Jarlath's College in Tuam, said teachers were worried about their Leaving Certificate pupils and wanted to take classes. "But we are determined to go on," he said.

READ MORE

North West - Theresa Judge

A small number of pupils turned up for classes yesterday and were taught in the north west, but in the vast majority of schools students stayed at home and all classes were cancelled.

In Co Donegal fewer than 15 pupils attended in Carndonagh Community School and also in Milford Community School. About 10 pupils arrived for classes in Summerhill College in Sligo and were taught. Because of the small numbers involved, supervision did not prove a problem for management.

The ASTI representative in the region, Ms Mary Duggan, said teachers would be happy to call off next week's three days of action if the Minister agreed to sit down to talks.

In Summerhill College in Sligo, Mr Breandan Duggan described the Minister's decision not to pay teachers for dispute days as "a bullying tactic".

Midlands - Sean MacConnell

There was a 100 per cent shutdown of ASTI-controlled secondary schools in the midlands region yesterday when the union's teachers reported for work but refused to carry out voluntary supervisory work.

In schools controlled by the union, parents were advised by boards of management not to send their children to school.

In Co Westmeath there were no pupils at schools in Mullingar, Kilbeggan, Rochfordbridge, Multyfarnham, Moate and in the voluntary schools in Athlone.

Across Co Offaly, where there are just over 6,000 secondary schoolchildren, the pattern was the same, with no children showing up at schools controlled by the union.

However, in Mountmellick Community School, Leaving Certificate pupils attended classes in the morning, leaving the building at lunchtime to avoid the public liability difficulties of being unsupervised during breaks.

There were no pupils either at St Joseph's and St Faran's, Ferbane or in the Bower Convent in Athlone. Athlone Community College reported no disruption.

Midwest - Eibhir Mulqueen

The third day of the protest took on a settled air in the midwest region yesterday as schools continued with set format. Most of the schools were effectively closed but for St Enda's Community School on the Kilmallock Road in Limerick, classes continued at least for some students.

The school, which has a mixed TUI/ASTI membership, continued to provide supervision for the 200 students doing the Junior and Leaving Certs, the principal, Mr Pat O'Connor, said.

At Scariff Community School, in Co Clare, where all of the 28 teachers are TUI members, classes continued as normal. By contrast, at Colaiste Iosaef in Kilmallock, Co Limerick, none of the 240 students arrived for classes.

Mr Willie Lawlor, the ASTI's area representative, said one school had provided classes for about 10 Leaving Cert students until mid-morning.

Cork - Dick Hogan

Almost 3,000 secondary students in 80 schools throughout Cork were affected by the dispute as management boards warned pupils to stay away because of safety reasons.

One school principal, Father Denis Kelleher, of St Colman's College, Fermoy, said if the dispute continued, there would be fears about the readiness of students to sit exams.

South East - Chris Dooley

Teachers will be even less inclined to carry out voluntary duties if the Government implements its threat to deduct eight days' pay from their Christmas pay packets, an ASTI leader said yesterday.

Mr Sean Hurley, the south east representative on the union's national executive, said the Government appeared to want confrontation and it would be difficult as a result to maintain the present level of service.

If teachers had pay deducted on December 21st for the six days they had withdrawn from voluntary, supervisory duties, schools would be "a very bleak place" in the new year.

Mr Hurley said he believed all schools in Wexford town where ASTI members taught had been left without classes, with the exception of one. He declined to name the school.

The situation was similar in Waterford city where, it is understood, all secondary day schools were without classes as parents heeded the advice of boards of management not to send their children to school.