Sir, – If, as Minister for Education Richard Bruton claims, supervision and substitution is a “core part” of teachers’ duties, why has he instructed school managements to advertise for other people to carry out these duties?
He has requested five-weeks’ notice before teachers withdraw from this unpaid work. Is he saying it’s okay not to do your core duties as long as you give notice? It seems to me that paying people to do other people’s “core duties” is an irresponsible and illogical use of taxpayers’ money.
Then again maybe we shouldn’t expect logic from someone who threatens not to pay people their salary for doing their job unless they agree to do another job for free.
– Yours, etc,
DARA HOGAN
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – I see that when the Minister for Education was asked whether he supported the principle of equal pay for equal work, a major issue behind the Association of Secondary teachers Ireland’s (ASTI) dispute, he said he did, “in the abstract”.
This reminds me of one of the sayings of the late great Yogi Berra, the American baseball player: “In theory there is no difference between theory and practice; in practice there is.”
What amazes me however is that this is government practice in the 21st century.
– Yours, etc
Prof TOM RAY
Malahide,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – So ASTIs want equal pay for equal work?
I look forward to its strikes against annual increments which ensure that high-performing, but less experienced, teachers are paid less than their low-performing but more experienced colleagues.
– Yours, etc,
FRANK DEVINE,
Kenilworth, UK.
Sir, – Would somebody please ask the secretary of the ASTI why the grind business is thriving ? – Yours, etc,
MAURICE SMYTH
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.
A chara, – The INTO and others are looking for equal pay for equal work. That’s easy to arrange. Get an independent consultant to set a rate for the job and abolish annual increments. That would allow equal pay for everybody as nobody would ever be on an increment or five ahead or behind anybody else. Problem solved.
– Is mise,
SEAN O’KIERSEY
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Do teachers want genuine equality or an equal unequal equality? Teachers receive salary increments based on years of service.
They also receive allowances based on their qualifications, which vary across the teacher population. These qualification allowances were suspended for new teachers as a result of the financial emergency measures. But irrespective of any emergency measures, teachers in the same school, teaching the same range of classes have substantial differences in their salaries and had prior to any emergency measures.
– Yours, etc,
JOSEPH MACKEY
Athlone,
Westmeath.