ASTI delegates will decide tomorrow whether to take industrial action following the union's rejection of the Government's offer on pay and conditions.
The union executive has drawn up a list of options available, ranging from further negotiations with the Government to all out industrial action.
The Minister for Education was given a cool but polite reception by delegates when she addressed the conference in Killarney yesterday. Ms Breathnach appealed for "calm and serious consideration" of the issues which led to the rejection of the offer.
She acknowledged the serious disquiet" among teachers and offered to address their concerns about the operation of early retirement procedures and the fairness of promotions procedures. And she repeated her offer of an independent facilitator to address the problems raised by the second level union.
The package will also apply to retired teachers, she said some option under consideration is an increase of 3 per cent in the pensions of retired staff.
Arguing for a system which "embraces change but stays true to the fundamentals", she called for teachers to advance by "agreement and negotiation rather than by confrontation".
"We could well be at a critical crossroads. The direction we take will have a great influence on the future of the education system and, indeed, on the attitude of wider society to our education system.
"We need a system which embraces change but stays true to the fundamentals. The high status and esteem rightly enjoyed by teachers is central to that vision."
In a position paper on the Government package, the union executive sets out 21 reasons for its rejection by ASTI members.
These include
. the early retirement scheme was unacceptable.
. members want to retain seniority as the criterion for promotion.
. the perception that primary teachers got a better deal.
. a feeling that the proposals would not improve the quality of education.
The paper then sets out the options available, including
. a pay claim for 3 per cent.
. a claim for the same accrued pension rights as for primary teachers.
. the pursuit of issues individually.
. negotiation of changes in the package.
. industrial action.
"The type of action chosen should be designed to make the maximum impact on the party responsible for the decision which is causing the dispute.
"Clearly, there is little point in choosing types of action which all feet only the internal organisation of schools if the purpose of the action is to persuade the Department of Education or of Finance to change its position," the paper advises.
Types of action other than withdrawal of labour could force school managers to close schools if they became inoperable. However, the ASTI should consider the "public context".
"Maintaining the highest degree of public support possible has a significant influence on the extent to which the Government, in particular, will be willing to meet the demands made".