Teachers’ strike threatens classroom chaos

Boards of managements have already written to parents of pupils across Galway to put them ‘on notice’ that is not possible for schools to reopen after the mid-term break due to the industrial action.

That’s because more than 1,000 Galway members of the ASTI will withdraw from supervision and substitution duties from Monday, unless the deadlock between the Department of Education and trade union is broken over the weekend.

Teachers will turn up for work in post-primary schools in the city and county – but the consequence of their withdrawal from essential duties effectively paralyses the school network.

President of Irish Secondary Schools Union, Jane Hayes Nally, said its members, including pupils in Galway, are in the dark over when schools will reopen again.

“We are becoming increasingly concerned for our members as no resolution has been found thus far and schools are due to close again.

“Students are becoming anxious and stressed as they are worried they will not have enough time to complete their exam projects,” she said.

The ASTI directive means its members – including many principals and deputy principals – will not be available to carry out supervision duties in the morning before school, during break, lunchtime and at the end of the school day.

They will not make themselves available either for absent colleagues who are on extra-curricular or co-curricular duties, or cover for those on uncertified sick leave.

The ASTI has not given a commitment to cooperate with any contingency plans for alternative arrangements for supervision and substitution.

But, even if there was full co-operation, boards of management say it would take six weeks to hire lay supervisors, because they would need to be Garda vetted, trained, and be recruited through a formal interview process.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.