The bitter secondary teachers' dispute will be considered by the Labour Court today, amid cautious optimism that a peace formula can be found and threats to exams dropped.
Already there is speculation that members of the ASTI could get an upfront payment as part of an overall settlement. The payment, according to some sources, could be paid to ASTI members for non-teaching duties such as supervision which teachers now perform on a voluntary basis.
However, ASTI sources insisted last night it was too early to speculate about the outcome of the court hearings. Any payment would have to be made to members of the other teaching unions - the INTO and the TUI - as all teachers are paid according to a common scale.
The Labour Court hearing will be attended by ASTI leaders, Department of Education officials and representatives of the other teaching unions as observers. The court is expected to make a recommendation by the end of this month, just before a scheduled meeting of the ASTI central executive committee on March 3rd.
If the union is unhappy with the recommendation, its threat to exams will be reactivated. If it pulls out of exam work the Department will have to make contingency plans, particularly about who will mark exam papers.
The ASTI is seeking a pay increase of 30 per cent. As disclosed in The Irish Times earlier this week, it has demanded an upfront payment in its confidential submission to the court. The union has also hinted it is prepared to accept a phased payment to settle its claim. In its submission, while reiterating the importance of the public service pay policy, the Department does not demand any additional productivity from ASTI members in return for any pay offer.
Responding to a report in yesterday's Irish Times, the ASTI said it was "concerned" the Department would proceed with a commission on teaching without informing or involving the three teacher unions.
About one-third of primary schools (more than 1,000 schools) still have no parents' association, three years after the Government gave such associations legal recognition.
The National Parents' Council (primary), which monitors parental involvement in schools, said it showed the need for more support and information for parents on how to form an association.
The council published guidelines yesterday emphasising that parents' associations can achieve much for children and give parents a significant say in how a school is run.
The Minister for Education, Dr Woods, said he was giving the Parents' Council £50,000 to recruit two new staff members.