Sir, – I am writing in response to Barry O'Rourke's article "No country for young teachers: the two-tier pay problem" (Education, March 1st).
As a fledgling member of the profession, I devote most of my week and indeed many weekends to preparation, marking and research. I participate in school life, in extra-curricular activities, and in staff teams devoted to research and improvement within our school. I attend professional development courses on a regular basis. These take place during evenings, holidays and at weekends. Both in the workplace and at courses, I meet devoted teachers, who work tirelessly to improve standards and willingly share advice and experience.
There is a separate payscale for exactly the same work. This reduces an esteemed profession to a casual, hours-based job. Finding hours is a coup these days, so much so that we young teachers are happy once we are working. Is this sufficient? Should we not have secure positions? Do our pupils not deserve some continuity? I implore all teachers to open this discussion in your staffrooms, with parents, management, board members and politicians.
Only as a united force can teachers and stakeholders fight the casualisation of the profession. Investment in education is investment in our young people, and in our future. – Yours, etc,
AOIFE FLEMING,
Naas, Co Kildare.
Sir, – The article “No country for young teachers” could have read “no country for newly qualified teachers” (NQT).
That point aside, the article made very interesting points highlighting the frustrations of being an NQT in Ireland. These issues are of deep concern and resentment within my union the ASTI and no doubt our sister unions.
We in the unions take the plight of the NQT very seriously; precarious employment, income poverty and difficult career paths are just some of the concerns.
However, I believe it is only fair to lay the blame for the current inequality in pay firmly at the feet of the previous two governments. The extra 10 per cent pay cut experienced by new entrants was part of the then government’s memorandum of understanding with the troika in December 2010. There was also a commitment to reduce pensions for new entrants. There was no union involvement.
The outgoing government in September 2012 decided to scrap qualifications allowances for new entrants. This was a unilateral step from the floor of the Dáil; once more there was no union input.
The ASTI is fully committed to campaigning for the immediate restoration of the single common basic scale, and it is our belief that newly qualified teachers would have a stronger and more united voice inside their unions.
This is not the time for stepping away from the unions – stay and give voice to you real concerns and let us fight this deep inequity together. – Yours, etc,
ED BYRNE,
Vice-President,
ASTI,
Thomas McDonagh House,
Winetavern Street,
Dublin 8.