Irish National Teachers’ Organization Cumann Múinteoirí Éireann February 2008 Time to call a Halt The immediate outlook for education young people are our most precious and teachers is bleak – pay cuts, no resource and no-one has the right to implementation of the Curran undermine their life opportunities. recommendations, no PPA time, increasing levels of workload and Come to Northern Conference in bureaucracy, more initiatives – the Newry on 29th February 08 and join awful new School Improvement the fight back. To those who know Programme, under-funding – the cost of everything and the value particularly of primary schools, of nothing the message is: you diktats - including the removal of ignore teachers at your peril. added years, usually without any meaningful consultation. This is on top of increasing workload, If a doctor, lawyer, or proposals for radical surgery of dentist had 40 people in his schools with resultant closures, office at one time, all of amalgamations and collaborations, a whom had different needs, drive towards factory sized schools, and some of whom didn’t abolition of the CCMS and Education want to be there and were and Library Boards, [but maybe not causing trouble, and the grammar schools, as employing doctor, lawyer, or dentist, authorities!] a proposed new entity Medal Winners for the –the Education and Skills Authority without assistance, had to students achieving the [ESA] which, despite its name, has treat them all with highest standard not got a single educationalist on its professional excellence for in teaching practice. project board, money for the nine months, then he might architects of rationalisation to cut have some conception of See inside. teachers’ jobs - nothing for the the classroom teacher’s job. teachers. Donald D. Quinn Reviews on SEN and Pre-school Contents Provision, Post- Primary review, Page ‘graded’ school inspections by ETI and ESA, failed proposals from News and Views 4 England and Wales such as ‘Special INTO eNewsletter INCAS – INTO/UTU Survey 5 Measures’, Area-Based Planning Have you registered for the INTO proposals, Sustainable Schools’ eNewsletter? If not, you may be Jolly Phonics 6 proposals, INCAs, MidYIS, YELLIS. missing out on the latest news Change. Change. Change. How much etc. Send your email address to To SIP or not? 7 more can teachers take? Is the baby [email protected] or register directly going out with the bath water? INTO on the INTO website www.into.ie Sen Survey 10 believes it is time to call a halt. Our NITC 10 References 13 Journal of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation in Northern Ireland, 23 College Gardens, Belfast BT9 6BS Recent Successes 13 Telephone: (028) 9038 1455 Fax: (028) 9066 2803 e-mail: [email protected] Editor: Frank Bunting International School Award 15 Printed by: Northern Whig Limited, 107 Limestone Road, Belfast BT15 3AH Telephone: (028) 9035 2233 Printout is published by INTO. Except where INTO has formally negotiated agreements as part of its services to Our Pupils Deserve Better 17 members, inclusion of an advertisement does not imply any form of recommendation. While every effort is made to ensure the reliability of advertisers, INTO does not accept any liability for the quality of goods and services offered. 2 February 2008 IRISH NATIONAL TEACHERS’ ORGANISATION ‘As I see it” “Theres a lot of blowhards in the Most people involved in education HLTA’s and under this guise give political process, you know, a lot of welcomed a local assembly that would teachers PPA? hot air artists, people who have got understand the needs of schools, something fancy to say” teachers and pupils in Northern To add insult to injury the Department George W Bush 2007 Ireland. Expectation was high that we of Education then announced an end would be listened to and consulted to PRC. Overnight added years were with on the needs of our pupils and removed without a thought to the the needs of our teachers. disastrous consequences for young teachers jobs , compulsory The Ministers statement that academic redundancies or school amalgamations selection would end in 2008 was or closures. This is a severe attack on welcomed by INTO. However as the teachers but particularly young deadline closes in schools and teachers teachers who will now find it even are as much in the dark about its more difficult to get jobs as teachers replacement as the rest of the public. will not be as willing to retire early. Schools are not places that deal well with uncertainty. The Minister may And finally we were then presented have a vision but a vague notional with the new school improvement vision does not allow schools the time programme Every School a good to prepare pupils or recieve pupils. School. A horrendous document which Concrete proposals must be put is designed to penalise and demotivate forward and the uncertainty removed rather than improve morale in from the education system. education. After the classroom assistants dispute Education and teachers are in a very Mary Cahillane, Chairperson, the Minister announced a review of dark place at the moment. The future Northern Committee the terms and conditions of all is more change more uncertainty and undoubtedly job losses. Its time that Since May of last year this is exactly workers in schools. The INTO remains the mandarins on the hill took what we have been witnessing from very concerned about this review. It is cognisance that unless a workforce is most of the folks on the hill. Alot of hard to envisage a review taking place motivated and happy results will talk with precious if any positive of teachers terms and conditions suffer. So far the mandarins have results. For teachers and schools the without their trade unions being chosen to demoralise an already results have been mostly negative. informed of it. Is the review an attempt to bring into Northern Ireland demoralised teaching force. upbringing; Statutory paternity leave cannot start TEACHERS’ • have been continuously employed before the birth of the child. You may PATERNITY LEAVE by your employer for at least 26 begin your period of leave on the date weeks ending with the 15th week the child is born, or on a date falling a Northern Office is receiving an before the expected week of birth; specific number of days after date increasing number of queries about and child is born, or on a specific teachers’ rights to paternity leave. The • give proper notice and evidence to predetermined date after the expected following is the current guidance. your employer. week of the birth. Paternity leave is absence from work How much statutory paternity How do I apply for statutory for the purpose of caring for a leave can I take? paternity leave? newborn child or for supporting the If eligible, you may choose to take You must give your employer notice of child’s mother. either one or two consecutive weeks’ your intention to take paternity leave paternity leave. If you are also entitled by the end of the 15th week before Am I entitled to paternity to receive statutory paternity pay this the expected week of the birth. Your leave? will be payable for either one whole notice must specify the expected week You will be entitled to take statutory week or two whole weeks. of the birth, the length of leave you paternity leave if you: wish to take and the date you wish • are the child’s father or the spouse When can I take statutory your leave to begin. or partner (same or opposite sex) paternity leave? of the child’s mother; You may take paternity leave before 56 How much paternity pay will I • have or expect to have days from the date of the child’s birth. receive? responsibility or the main Paternity pay is currently £112.75 per responsibility for child’s week. February 2008 3 IRISH NATIONAL TEACHERS’ ORGANISATION NEWS AND VIEWS Middletown Autism Centre Congratulations It is over one year since former Congratulations to Donal Flanagan, Education Minister, Maria Eagle MP, Chief Executive CCMS – not for his OBE and Mary Hanafin TD finally – but for his appointment as Vice- announced the Chief Executive Chair of Middletown Autism Centre. Designate, James G Cooper (formally Donal is also a member of the Down principal, Knockmore Primary School, and Lisburn Health Trust for which he Lisburn) and the Board of Directors for receives remuneration of £5k per the Centre. “The appointments”, annum plus travel and subsistence declared Eagle “will now allow us to allowances, as well as being an start the delivery of much needed Independent Board Member to the services at the Centre”. PWC were the Department of Agriculture and Rural lucky consultants, paid to make James Development. Cooper’s appointment. Middletown is supposed to provide: True but not funny The Southern Education and Library • A training and advisory service Board Welfare Services Unit organised • A research and information service a seminar on ‘Practical Absence Martin McGuinness MP MLA Former • An educational assessment service Management’. It was attended by 120 Education Minister and SELB Managers. [120 - I kid you not!] • A learning support including Helen McClenaghan, Chief million in St Genevieve’s has now been Executive SELB and the Senior achieved in a way that represents The services of Middletown have been Management Team’. [Source: SELB value for money for the taxpayer…’. announced now by at least five News]. Education Ministers but are any Other ‘Pathfinder’ school projects services available currently? Governing Bodies included Balmoral High School (soon Information welcome. Association (GBA) to be defunct at less than value for The Grammar Schools’ outfit GBA Ethos and the Man money for the taxpayer), Wellington (superbly served by John Miskelly, College, Belfast and Drumglass High Teachers were gob smacked when former Bursar, Belfast Royal Academy School, Dungannon involving overall CCMS Chief Executive, Donal Flanagan (BRA)) has got a new member.