A new Teaching Council will have powers to apply sanctions for professional misconduct by teachers, Mr John White, deputy general secretary of the ASTI, told delegates in Tralee this week.
But he warned: "The council will not de-register or remove someone from teaching until all other procedures are exhausted." Before a teacher could lose his or her licence the matter would have to be judged by the High Court, he explained. The power of the council to remove teachers would not affect any existing statutory rights, he said.
Mr White dealt with a number of questions from delegates about how the council will function. A teaching council had been a live issue for the past 25 years, he said. It would have powers also to oversee entry to the profession, he said.
The Teaching Council is expected to be passed into law next year. In the meantime, a confidential report is currently with the Minister for Education and Science from the Technical Working Group on how the council is expected to operate.
A number of problems in subject areas were raised by teachers at the convention during the week. Ms Maire Ni Laoire, Cork North branch, said that only 5 per cent of music students get As in their Leaving Certificate exam. "The percentage of As in music should be adjusted," she said at a public session during the week.
She also said that the Minister for Education and Science should introduce "a rest day" during the State exams in order to give students doing their Leaving Certificate a break from the stressful days at the start. "It would not cost that much and it would alleviate some of the stress on students," she said.
Mr Noel Bannon, of Dublin North West, said that curriculum overload "is happening". He said teachers were being asked to give up class time to accommodate new subjects in the curriculum.
Ms Catherine Fitzpatrick, chairwoman of the ASTI education committee, who reported to delegates on the work carried out during the year by the committee, said there was concern about the lack of clarity as to the role and nature of project work.