Teachers' strike to close at least 40 more schools than expected
by Katherine DonnellyThe teachers’ strike on Tuesday is expected to close at least 40 more schools than originally feared.
Scoil Bride in Clondalkin, Dublin is among those advising parents that they cannot open because of the large number of members of striking union, the Teachers’ union of Ireland (TUI), on their staff.
Following a board meeting last night, the 960-pupil all-girls school sent a text message to parents asking them not to send their daughter to school on Tuesday.
The board states that because of the strike it will “not be in a position to discharge its responsibilities with regard to the care of students in its charge.”
The absence of teachers does not only mean lessons have to be cancelled, but has implications for health and safety because of a school’s wider responsibilities around supervision of students.
The spread of the disruption could bring to about 400 the number of second-level schools that will not be open, forcing up to 200,000 pupils to stay at home.
The TUI’s recent announcement of a one-day stoppage left up to half the schools in the country- where the TUI is the sole or dominant union – with no option other than to close.
These are schools in the education and training boards (ETB) sector, and also the overwhelming majority of community and comprehensive schools.
There was uncertainty about the 380 schools in the voluntary secondary sector – those traditionally run by the religious as well as the growing number under the patronage of Educate Together.
In most of these schools, the Association of Secondary Teachers’ Ireland (ASTI) is the sole or dominant union representing members, who are not involved in the strike.
However, the ASTI has directed its members not to cover for striking TUI colleagues and not to co-operate with any changes in the timetable designed to get around their absence.
Schools in the voluntary secondary sector have been assessing their situation this week and, where necessary, have held board of management meetings to decide whether they can open.
The TUI stoppage is part of its campaign to end two-tier pay scales.
It will also hit colleges of further and adult education and institutes of technology, and overall 19,000 members 1,100 workplaces will stop work for the day.
While much progress has been in restoring cuts made in the austerity era, under current arrangements, teachers employed after January 1, 2011 would still earn €110,000 less than longer-serving colleagues over the course of a career.
About half of that loss would be in in the first 10 years of their career when key life choices are made.