The Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, is refusing to attend the annual teacher conferences over Easter, arguing that their "dated model" of set-piece speeches emphasises confrontation rather than "real communication".
His decision to abandon the traditional practice of attending has been greeted with dismay by the three teaching unions - the ASTI, INTO and TUI.
The Minister could have expected a hostile reception from some delegates this year because of his decision to send in inspectors to check if schools remained open on December 23rd last, as the new standard school year requires.
In a letter to the unions, the Minister says he wants to abandon the current format. Instead, he wants to hold a forum on the future of education at each of the conferences. This would be modelled on the current Your Education System (YES) debates which are taking place at 17 venues across the State.
In his letter, the Minister said the YES debates, chaired by an independent chairperson - like broadcasters Joe Duffy and John Bowman - provide a better format for communication on education issues than the annual conferences.
Mr Dempsey writes: "I realise that what I am proposing represents a change from traditional practice. That said, I think we have to ask ourselves if the historical approach continues to serve us well."
The Minister points out that he attended the teacher conferences for the first time last year. Having seen the conferences at first hand, "I feel we might all get greater benefit from a changed format."
He expresses his unease with the format. By its nature, he says, this format places more emphasis on setting of positions than on "real communication and listening".
The three teaching unions hope to agree a common position in response to the Minister's letter. Last night, the indications were that the unions would not facilitate YES meetings at their conferences.
