Madam, - The latest statement by the Minister for Education and Science, Noel Dempsey, on his desire to standardise the school year, thus removing the autonomy from schools to make decisions, represents a distortion of the position adopted by the ASTI at the Teachers' Conciliation Council discussions.
The ASTI position was that schools should have a measure of flexibility in order to accommodate the local circumstances of schools, pupils and parents. This was unacceptable to the Minister
It is extraordinary that the Minister's letter of December 24th failed to make this clear.
The Minister's unprecedented action in sending inspectors to schools to police the new arrangement in such a heavy-handed manner represents a misuse of the Department of Education and Science inspectorate and is damaging to the partnership process which is at the heart of the education service in Ireland and is enshrined in the Education Act. -
Yours, etc.,
JOHN WHITE,
Deputy General Secretary,
ASTI,
Winetavern Street,
Dublin 8.