After a difficult and challenging period for the profession, the teachers' conferences, which begin today, provide an opportunity for some serious reflection. The campaign of industrial action by the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) through the winter has left a bitter legacy. The status and traditional high-standing of the profession have been damaged by a campaign in which vulnerable examination students were targeted. Relations between teachers and both parents and students have been destabilised. In more general terms, the sense of solidarity among the three teaching unions has been broken.
The ASTI has itself to blame for this situation. Its members have an outstanding case for a generous increase in pay; their pay has been allowed to lag behind other graduate professions. Compared to other professions teachers enjoy relatively poor levels of disposable income. But the ASTI has allowed an entirely legitimate case to be undermined by ill-considered and reckless tactics. The union plans to press on with its campaign in September if - as now seems likely - members vote to reject the latest Labour Court offer in theforthcoming ballot.
But there is the strong sense that the stable door is being closed long after the horse has bolted. It is abundantly clear that the ASTI has lost its pay battle. It misjudged the public mood. It misjudged the sense of solidarity among other trade unions. Crucially, it misjudged the resolve of the Government. The other teaching unions - the INTO and the TUI - are making their case for very significant pay increases in the benchmarking review body. With the Department of Education not disputing their case for a significant pay increase, both appear very confident of success. The ASTI, meanwhile, continues its less than splendid isolation.
This week's conference should focus on how the union allowed things to drift to this dreadful pass. Instead, it will probably turn its fire on the Government, the media and anyone else it can blame for the mess.
In today's Education and Living supplement one influential school manager, Mr Michael Moriarty of the Irish Vocational Education Association, exhorts the union to focus on the potential of what has been achieved rather than the hurt and anger of recent weeks. It is good advice. The revised Labour Court package is a progressive document, which acknowledges the case for a hefty pay increase and opens the way for substantial progress on a range on non-pay issues. It is to be hoped that ASTI members will accept it.
The ASTI pay dispute may also dominate the other conferences. Both the TUI and the INTO leadership have been criticised by some in their unions for their failure to support the ASTI. But this appears to be a minority view. Most ordinary TUI and INTO members are probably grateful that their union distanced themselves from the ASTI's campaign. At the INTO conference, much interest will focus on the battle to succeed Senator Joe O'Toole as general secretary. Senator O'Toole has been a charismatic and thought-provoking teachers' leader. He will be a hard act to follow.