Sir, – I wish to support general secretary Pat King’s condemnation of a minority group at the ASTI convention who barracked, heckled and abused Mr Quinn throughout his speech. The teacher who used the megaphone and his main supporter who addressed the media are founding members of the self-styled “ASTI Fightback Group”. This small group of disaffected ASTI members (comprising seven or eight activists) do not have the right to use the acronym ASTI in their rather melodramatic title; the group is not a recognised or legal structure within the union and does not have a mandate from its 18,000 members.
My colleagues and I do not pay our union subscription to have crucial business and procedures at annual convention derailed by a small, very vocal group who hog the microphone throughout convention debate yet whose raison d’être at conference is simply to wait for the Minister to arrive and disrupt proceedings. By harnessing the complete attention of the media and the general public for their own political agenda, the thuggish behaviour of these people has deflected attention from the crucial issues and real concerns surrounding Junior Cycle reform and assessment and other important educational matters.
This group has done great damage to students, teachers and the union. I am appalled at this outcome, which has, in effect, swung the pendulum in Mr Quinn’s favour. I am reminded of the lines from Yeats: “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” Yours , etc,
COLETTE PHILLIPS,
Celbridge,
Co Kildare
Sir, – Amid charges that teachers who interrupted and heckled Ruairí Quinn were guilty of disgracing the profession and harming students, teachers and the profession, I feel I should respond as one who, very reluctantly, engaged in such heckling. I did this because of deep frustration that we have a Minister of Education who has refused to listen to those very people who know best when it comes to educational reform and the negative effects of the new Junior Cert.
None of us likes resorting to this kind of behaviour but I thought it appropriate that the Minister experience the deep anger that teachers throughout the country are feeling. The “fightback” group, who do have considerable support, are a response by some ordinary and concerned ASTI members that the leadership of the union is not sufficiently defending the pay and conditions of teachers, especially the most vulnerable young and non-permanent members.
I do hope that people who got upset at this expression of anger display the same upset at policies that have devastated families and communities throughout this country. Yours, etc,
MARTIN McMULLAN,
Beauvale Park,
Dubliin 5