Attempts to stage this year's exams without the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland were dealt a blow last night when the other secondary teachers' union said it would not make up for the expected "shortfall" in examiners.
The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) said it would tell the Minister for Education, Dr Woods, at a meeting today that it would not do exam work normally undertaken by the ASTI. "We will not be bailing the Minister out this summer," the TUI president, Mr John MacGabhann, said. The TUI would not correct papers normally marked by ASTI members.
One union source said that to correct papers normally done by ASTI members would be a form of "strike-breaking". In addition, the source said, the TUI leadership was unlikely to even recommend that members correct their normal share of papers. Instead, they would be allowed to take their own decisions.
This could seriously deplete the ranks of TUI members available for exam work. The union is reluctant to recommend a complete ban on exam work because it would be a form of industrial action.
Mr MacGabhann said Dr Woods should immediately repay the ASTI money docked for its November work-to-rule action and then reopen talks.
The TUI will also tell Dr Woods that if third-level students or "other inappropriate personnel" are used to mark papers, it will not co-operate with exams at all.
The union's executive meets after the meeting with Dr Woods and will have final say on future strategy.
Dr Woods said yesterday the Junior and Leaving Certificate exams would go ahead, but the ASTI and the TUI are sceptical of his plans. The ASTI president, Mr Don McCluskey, said it would be "next to impossible" for Dr Woods to stage exams without his union.
Most observers believe that without the TUI Dr Woods would find it extremely difficult to hold the exams. He needs about 7,000 examiners for the Leaving Certificate alone.
It is understood retired teachers and academics are being considered as markers for the exam, but the ASTI is opposed to this and plans to write to the Irish Federation of University Teachers asking them not to mark papers.