Crescent College Comprehensive, the largest school in the Limerick region, was unique for a school with ASTI membership yesterday, in that everything ran as normal - at least for the 60 teachers.
Fortune had smiled on the 950 pupils while about 300 parents attended a parent-teacher meeting for third- and sixth-years.
"We always have third- and sixth-year parent-teacher meetings in mid-November, and it is just a coincidence that it happened in this way," said the assistant principal, Ms Karen Flemming.
She said ASTI had no difficulty with the meeting.
On the issue of insurance, Ms Flemming added: "Parents can look after themselves. We do not have to supervise them." Apart from in a handful of schools with a majority of TUI memberships or in those with boarders, pupils stayed away from the 45 schools in the region following advice to remain at home.
Mr Willie Lawlor, the region's ASTI representative, said members were advised to do a minimum amount of supervision in boarding schools.
"It is not necessary to send pupils home if they are boarders," he said.
He spent the day taking media calls and giving advice to members. In one community school one student appeared for class and ran the risk of being unsupervised at break-time. "Teachers would have a worry of going into one classroom with one pupil. That is not recommended. It is important to have both people protected.
"The student insisted that he wanted to be taught. I advised that the teacher leave the door open and inform the principal that she was entering into the classroom."
He added that there was strong support among members for the actions. Of the 800 union members in 27 schools, 600 turned up to vote on industrial action, with 90 per cent in favour.