Sir, – Astonishingly it appears that registered teachers who were appointed prior to 2004 were not obliged to pay the Teaching Council registration fee until 2014, when it was legislated for. That did not stop the council billing teachers from 2008 to 2013. The vast majority of teachers paid, as we were under the impression that payment was mandatory and that salary would be stopped if we did not. At no point did the council or the teacher unions tell us that payment was voluntary during that time and that information did not appear on renewal notices. The council is refusing to refund the money paid.
Serving teachers have also been informed that elections for the new Teaching Council will be via electronic ballot. Crucially there is no option to spoil your vote in an electronic vote. Some have grave concerns over the secrecy and safety of such a ballot. The best the ASTI can do is tell us that a “robust security system has been put in place” That is not good enough. It needs to be flawless and totally secret, which electronic balloting simply cannot be. The Teaching Council is already discredited among most teachers. The two issues above really are the last straw. Time for this useless quango to go. – Yours, etc,
ALAN O’CONNOR,
Donnycarney,
Dublin 9.