VOL.36 / NO.4 February 2014

teachers’ uNiON OF ireLaNd / AONTAS MúiNTeOirí éireANN VOL.36 / NO.4 news February 2014 tui NeWs cONteNts Joe is first serving staff p.3 A word from member to be The president chairperson of a newly p.4 Teaching council issues established etB p.6 haddington road The Monaghan Branch of the TUi is both honoured and delighted that one of its long serving teaching Agreement – members, Mr Joe Mcgrath, had the distinction of implementation issues being elected chairperson of co Monaghan Vec and subsequently (following the education and Training p.8 congress 2014 Boards Act of 2013 and the resulting aggregation of the Vecs ) as chairman of the cavan and Monaghan p.10 institute News education and Training Board. it is a unique honour for the Branch as Joe was also the first serving staff JOe McgrATh p.12 young Scientist member nationally to hold the position of exhibition celebrates chairperson of a newly established eTB. 50 years A native of Donegal, Joe was appointed to co Monaghan Vec as a teacher of engineering and Metalwork in 1972 and taught in Ballybay community college, p.16 ‘grace period’ for castleblayney college and inver college in carrickmacross. Joe has given outstanding service to the education sector in Monaghan Vec for over four retirements decades. he also acted as Branch Vice chairperson as well as Branch chairperson p.18 TUi directive on posts of and is currently Branch Treasurer, a position he has held for the past twelve years. responsibility p. 20 restructuring of TUi p.21 education issues p.24 industrial action in louth and Meath eTB p.27 elearning seminar p.33 rMA News p.34 TUi in the media TOM BOlAND, chief execUTiVe Of The heA picTUreD wiTh TUi AgS AiDAN KeNNy p.36 crossword AND chAir Of The cOllegeS ADViSOry cOMMiTTee (cAc) TOM DOOley AT A receNT cAc MeeTiNg eDiTOriAl prODUcTiON Annette Dolan Bernie Judge TUI News is published by the Deputy General Secretary Education & Research Officer Teachers’ Union of ireland. [email protected] [email protected] Aontas Múinteoirí Éireann, 73 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6. Declan glynn Nadia Johnston gerard craughwell Assistant General Secretary Administrative Officer President [email protected] [email protected] T: 01-492 2588 f: 01-492 2953 [email protected] e: [email protected] w: www.tui.ie Aidan Kenny conor griffin gerry Quinn Assistant General Secretary Press & Information Officer printed by: Vice-President [email protected] [email protected] Typecraft Ltd. [email protected] Michael gillespie roisin farrelly Assistant General Secretary Development Officer John Macgabhann [email protected] [email protected] General Secretary [email protected] colm Kelly Assistant General Secretary [email protected] 2 February 2014 - TUi NewS tui NeWs A Word from The President Junior cycle assessment process. while the Minister At post-primary level TUi has committed may see the Junior certificate as a low- itself to ballot members on non- stakes examination, from a child’s, parents cooperation with the proposed changes and a teacher’s perspective, the stakes are to the Junior cycle. The decision is not not as low as he imagines. lest there be one that the executive committee took any doubt, the TUi position is clear: lightly. A series of bilateral talks with the quality assurance for Junior cycle DeS in October and November left us assessment requires the full participation with more questions than answers and of the State examinations committee more doubts than certainties. At its (Sec). Over the coming weeks tui December meeting the executive will provide full information on committee set a deadline of January 17th every aspect of this issue in the for the DeS to provide clear information form of a special bulletin in TUi preSiDeNT, gerArD crAUghwell that the union could objectively consider advance of the ballot. with respect to Junior cycle changes. regrettably the DeS characterised this Further education in my first editorial of 2014 i would like to meeting as the first meeting of a The further education sector will also see thank everybody who represents TUi in consultative process, which it clearly was massive change in the coming years any capacity for keeping the flag flying in not. prior to this meeting TUi had made it following the establishment of SOlAS as their locations. clear through various channels, including the funding agency. The first of these colleagues, it would seem that the the media, that if the DeS failed to provide changes, the process of transferring fAS challenge for 2014 is the need for real the required clarity, the union would centres to local eTBs, will be completed engagement on the changes coming to ballot its members to secure a mandate by the middle of this year. in the academic our education system. The Minister for for non-cooperation with the year 2014/15 fe/plc colleges will be education and Skills Mr ruairi Quinn TD implementation of the proposed changes. unaffected by these changes. however, it is determined to leave his stamp on every Unfortunately, the DeS did not supply the would be wrong of those working in the sector of the irish education system for practical details and left us with no option sector to believe that change will not generations to come. however, his plans but to ballot, the timeframe of which will affect them. There is little doubt that lack one critical ingredient - real shortly be confirmed. SOlAS will want the best bang for its engagement with the practitioners at all The development and implementation of buck in the coming years. There may be a levels who are expected to deliver these education policy requires a partnership move to separate provision into changes. approach. however, the Minister's continuing education and training. in the decision to unilaterally discard the tried future, fe/plc colleges may have to put third Level and tested Junior cycle brand that enjoys forward service level agreements in order last year i warned of the shake-up that public confidence has not just dismissed to secure funding through a competitive was coming to the institute of Technology the advice of the NccA. it has resulted process. it remains a demand and a sector through the establishment of in a diminished confidence in the priority of TUi that that it be fully involved clusters, mergers and the drive towards curricular leadership provided by the in the process of planning for the coming Technological University (TU) status. Minister. furthermore, it has put public changes. regrettably, the process has moved trust in the entire Junior cycle forward at pace with little or no programme at risk. challenges meaningful consultation with TUi The mantra seems to be 'sure it's only The challenges are many; never was it members by management in individual one subject with no examination due until more important that we all work together institutes in some of the clusters 2016 and by then we will have it right.' towards a common goal. All sectors proposed. The Mr Tom Boland of the heA from the talks we have engaged in to date where TUi has members are challenged by has acknowledged the need for meaningful we remain unconvinced that sufficient change of great magnitude. Unfortunately, consultation at a recent meeting at TUi’s new resources – including the critical most of this change is driven by offices. clearly the Department of resource of time - would be made economics rather than positive education and Skills (DeS) and the iOTs available to enable schools to offer the educational reform. in order to protect not currently involved in consultation programme. the status of teaching and lecturing TUi would be ill-advised to ignore the TUi’s The Minister needs to know that we will members must commit fully to old- demands. failure to meet this most basic not allow the drift that his Department is fashioned trade unionism, starting with demand will mean that TUi, in defence of seeking. it is within his remit to prescribe solidarity where an injury to one is an its members’ rights, will use all of the the syllabus, but he cannot seek to impose injury to all. options open to it including, if necessary, a school based assessment. finally, he needs ballot for industrial action to protect the to know that TUi members, through terms and conditions of employment of motion 72 at congress 2013, demand that our members. the Junior cycle carries state certification through a quality assured external www.tui.ie - TUi NewS 3 tui NeWs section 30 of the teaching council act Section 30 of the Teaching council Act was officially commenced on 28th January, 2014. from that date, all teachers in ‘recognised schools’ (as defined by the education Act 1998) must be registered with the Teaching council in order to be paid from funds provided by the Oireachtas. The legal position that now obtains is that if a person is not registered as a teacher s/he cannot legally be paid as a teacher from the public purse. in this respect, it is important to note that centres of education, such as youthreach centres, core VTOS centres or other atypical centres, providing adult or further education, are not within the purview of the Teaching council. Therefore, the provisions of the Teaching council Act 2001 do not apply to the staff, including teachers, who are assigned to those centres. A person employed as a teacher, who is assigned, for example, to a youthreach centre, does not require to be registered with the Teaching council in order to be paid as a teacher from public funds. however, TUi would strongly and urgently advise any person employed as a teacher, wherever currently assigned, to register with the Teaching council or, in the case of those persons already registered, to maintain that registration.

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