Two teachers will compete for election to the INTO's central executive council, as primary teachers get ready to vote in a number of up-coming INTO elections. Sean O Diomasaigh is principal of St Michael's Boys' Primary School in Trim, Co Meath, while Helen O'Gorman is deputy principal of an eight-teacher school in Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath.
Ballot papers will go out to teachers in the next week or so. Votes must be back to INTO headquarters by Wednesday, March 31st - they will be counted on Thursday, April 1st.
The two candidates are standing in one of the union's largest districts which comprises 2,000 teachers and 11 branches. District VII brings in Westmeath, Longford, Meath, Kildare and Offaly. Altogether three of the union's 16 districts currently have vacancies. However, District VII is likely to provide the most interesting battle, and electioneering is currently gathering momentum. One INTO source describes the job of a CEC official as "similar to that of a TD without the salary."
O Diomasaigh, one of the organisers of the Primary Principals' Network conference, will be present this weekend at the network's conference. Up to 400 principals applied to the PPN to attend, he says, and the conference is now closed for applications. "Over 90 per cent of principals are full-time class teachers," he explains. "It's important that all aspects of the complex role of principals are catered for." The PPN conference is being held with the support of the In-Career Development Unit, the European Social Fund and Prim-Ed Publishing, which has donated 5,000 Euros, towards the proceedings. The Minister for Education and Science, Micheal Martin, will open the conference on Friday.
