The 300 pupils and 22 teachers at the CBS secondary school in Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, returned from the midterm break and resumed classes as normal on Monday despite it being staffed by Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) members.
It was one of a handful of secondary schools entirely staffed by ASTI members which remained open for business across the country.
ASTI general secretary Kieran Christie said he was aware of eight schools with ASTI principals and vice-principals which had remained open, although he described this as a “sketchy” figure.
“Everybody is here and classes are up and running,” CBS Carrick principal Billy O’Farrell said.
ASTI members would not perform supervisory duties while the dispute went on but Mr O’Farrell said the school would be able to “manage” the all-boys cohort of students.
“We’re just trying to manage the situation as best we can,” he said.
Asked what would happen with students if a teacher was not available for a particular class, he said: “They will just work at a study area.”
Teachers who are certified as ill can be replaced by substitutes under the terms of the dispute, he said, while the issue of non-certified sick leave had not arisen yet in CBS Carrick during the current situation.
“We will just manage the boys. They will be able to go and study.” said Mr O’Farrell.
No comment
He had no comment to make on the merits or otherwise of the ASTI’s action.
“As a principal I would stay away from it. My anxiety is to keep the school open.”
CBS Carrick, along with all other ASTI-staffed schools, will be closed on Tuesday, however, because of the separate dispute over pay for new entrants to the profession.
Tuesday is one of six further strike dates already announced, the others being Wednesday, November 16th; Thursday, November 24th; Tuesday, November 29th; Tuesday, December 6th; and Wednesday, December 7th.
CBS Carrick plans to reopen again on Wednesday, but Mr O’Farrell said the dispute would “start to create anxiety if it goes on too long”.
He put the ability of the school to manage the situation down to its “medium size”, with 300 pupils. “In larger schools it wouldn’t be possible,” he said.
