TEACHERS’ UNIeON OF IRELANDw / AONTAS MÚINTEOIRÍ … News Dec 2017 Vol 40 No 3.pdf · TEACHERS’ UNIe ON OF IRELANDw / AONTAS MÚINTEOIRÍ ÉsI REANN. TUI NEWS ... excel in their

VOL.40 / NO.3

December 2017

newsTEACHERS’ UNION OF IRELAND / AONTAS MÚINTEOIRÍ ÉIREANN

TUI NEWS

2 December 2017 - TUI NEWS

CONTENTS:

p.3 A Word From The President

p.4 PSSA ballot result & PublicService Pay and Pensions Bill

p.5 Third level protests

p. 7 TUI calls for 1% corporate taxlevy for higher education

p.8 Doing more with less – LatestOECD Education At A Glanceindicators

p.10 Important dates to AnnualCongress 2018

p.12 Croke Park Hours – Yourrights and responsibilitiesexplained

p.16 Global Schoolroomprogramme extends to SierraLeone and Kenya

p.18 Retrospective Vetting updatefrom the Teaching Council

p.19 Update on curriculumdevelopment

p.20 Palestinian school supportedby TUI destroyed

p.22 Application form for two pre-retirement seminars in early2018

p.23 RMA News

p.24 Crossword with €250 prize

Joanne [email protected]

Seamus [email protected]

John MacGabhannGeneral Secretary [email protected]

EDITORIAL

Annette DolanDeputy General [email protected]

Declan GlynnAssistant General [email protected]

Aidan KennyAssistant General [email protected]

Michael Gillespie Assistant General [email protected]

Colm Kelly Assistant General [email protected]

Bernie RuaneAssistant General [email protected]

David DuffyEducation & Research [email protected]

Nadia JohnstonAdministrative [email protected]

Conor GriffinPress & Information [email protected]

PRODUCTION

TUI News is published by the

Teachers’ Union of Ireland.Aontas Múinteoirí Éireann,

73 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6.

T: 01-492 2588 F: 01-492 2953

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Typecraft Ltd.

Unless the Union is deemed to haverepudiated the relevant nationalagreement, the following pay increasesare due to TUI members from 1stJanuary 2018.

Teachers appointed since1st January 2011Second half of restoration of value ofthe Honours Primary Degree Allowancefor teachers employed since 1stFebruary 2012. The first half of the valueof the allowance was added to scale on1st January 2017. From 1st January 2018,there will be an amalgamated scale forall teachers appointed since 1st January2011, incorporating the full value of theHonours Primary Degree Allowance. Asa result, in addition to the increases forthose appointed since 1st February2012, some of the points on scale forthose appointed between 1st January2011 and 31st January 2012 will alsoincrease.

Teachers and lecturersearning over €65,000Second half of the restoration of the paycut to salaries over €65,000 (but not

more than €110,000) that was imposedunder the terms of the HaddingtonRoad Agreement. The first half of therestoration occurred on 1st April 2017.This restoration will bring the relevantscales back to 2010 levels. For thoseearning in excess of €110,000, remainingtranches of restoration will be paid on1st April 2018 and 1st April 2019.

In addition:

1% increase to all scales The Union’s clear position on the PublicService Stability Agreement (PSSA) andthe Pay and Pensions Bill is set outelsewhere in this magazine. However, ifTUI is deemed to be ‘covered’ by theagreement (i.e. not to have repudiatedit) the 1% increase will apply to all scaleson 1st January 2018.

Other increases due under the PSSA are: 1% on 1st October 2018;1.75% on 1st September 2019; 2% on 1st October 2020. If the Unionwere to be deemed not to be coveredby the Agreement (i.e to haverepudiated it), each of the four increaseswill be subject to a nine-month delay.

Pay increases/restoration due to TUI members on 1st January 2018

3www.tui.ie - TUI NEWS

Non-acceptance ofproposed agreement As you will be aware, TUI membersoverwhelmingly chose to not accept theproposed Public Service StabilityAgreement (PSSA) in a national ballot bya margin of 87% to 13%. Separately, astrong mandate was given by members toengage in a campaign of industrial action,up to and including strike action, tosecure a fair and sustainable resolution tothe issue of pay inequality. While theproposed agreement was accepted by anaggregate of affiliated unions, TUI, ASTIand INTO all voted against its acceptance.TUI has made clear that, as is its tradition,it will decide itself whether or not to bebound by the aggregate vote.

In addition, the Union strongly criticisedthe Public Service Pay and Pensions Bill,which, through a range ofdisproportionate penalties, seeks to bullythe members of unions who choose notto comply with national agreements.

Pay increases/restorationon 1st January 2018 Details of pay increases due to TUImembers on 1st January are set outelsewhere in this magazine. Therestoration of the value of the secondhalf of the Honours Primary DegreeAllowance to those appointed since 1st

February 2012 is due on this date, as isthe second half of the pay restoration forthose earning over €65,000.

New entrant pay issues Along with colleagues from the ASTI andINTO, TUI representatives met withofficials from the Department of PublicExpenditure and Reform to scope outissues around new entrant pay. It wasagreed at the meeting that updated datawas required to inform the process. Theunion has entered this engagement ingood faith, and it does not in any waycompromise our position on the PSSA.As the ballot results show, TUI membersremain united in the campaign for payequality, irrespective of whether theyentered the profession before or after1st January 2011. Keep an eye on thewebsite and the union’s social mediaplatforms for any update on this process.

Third level protest andcorporate levy as a fundingmechanismIn late September, academic staff atInstitutes of Technology protestedoutside their workplaces over thecontinuing damage being caused to theirsector by chronic underfunding. TUImembers also protested outside DáilÉireann and the offices of the HEA.Separately, TUI supported USI’s nationaldemonstration in Dublin in favour ofpublicly funded higher education. At anyand every opportunity, TUI has called fora 1% corporate levy to create adedicated fund for investment in highereducation. It is the very least thatcorporations, which derive so much fromthe country’s education system, could doto show their allegiance to Irish society. Itwould be a fitting and appropriatesolution to a problem that worsens withevery passing week, a crisis thatGovernment has abjectly failed toaddress.

OECD indicators endorsework of Irish educators The latest international indicators showthat teachers and lecturers continue toexcel in their roles despite low levels ofinvestment in education, generallyworking longer hours and catering formore students than their internationalcounterparts. We’ve set out some of themain findings in graphic form elsewherein this magazine. They are useful incountering some commonmisconceptions. For example, ill-informeddiscourse over the length of the Irishschool year holds little water when oneconsiders that Irish teachers teach annualhours far in excess of OECD andEuropean norms.

Croke Park hours – Your rights andresponsibilities Following numerous requests frommembers, we’ve included an overview ofthe various rights and responsibilities ofteachers in terms of Croke Park hours.This guide is featured in the centre pagesof the magazine for easy reference. Ifthere are any other areas that you wouldlike to see covered in a similar way, pleasedon’t hesitate to let us know.

Play your part Once again, with the end of the calendaryear in sight, I would urge members,particularly those new or relatively newto the profession, to play an active part intheir Union by attending branch meetingsand considering becoming part of theirWorkplace Committee or taking up arole as Branch Officer. You are yourUnion. Help to define and shape thepolicies and priorities of the Teachers’Union of Ireland as we move forwardinto a new year.

TUI PRESIDENT, JOANNE IRWIN

A Word from the President – Joanne Irwin

TUI NEWS


TUI members vote not to accept proposedPublic Service Stability Agreement and givestrong mandate for industrial action TUI members, by a large majority, voted notto accept the proposed Public ServiceStability Agreement (PSSA) in a nationalballot in September, and, with particularreference to pay inequality, mandated acampaign of industrial action, up to andincluding strike action, to secure a fair andsustainable resolution.

The Union’s Executive Committee hadrecommended rejection of the proposedagreement because, as framed, it wouldeffectively copper-fasten a system of payinequality for its three- year duration.

Throughout the negotiations that led to thisproposed agreement, TUI clearly andunambiguously identified the issue of payequality for those appointed on or after 1stJanuary 2011 as being of primary importance.

TUI has prioritised and campaigned on thisissue and has made some important progress,most significantly through the reinstatementof the value of the Honours Primary DegreeAllowance (in two tranches) for thoseemployed since 1st February 2012. However,under the PSSA proposals, the issue of newentrant pay would not be further examineduntil 2018, with application of any outcomeno sooner than 2021. Members haveemphatically decided that this block onfurther progress for the next three years isunacceptable.

TUI representatives brought the ballot resultto a meeting of the ICTU’s Public ServicesCommittee (PSC), where the agreement wasaccepted by an aggregate vote of affiliatedunions. However, TUI made clear that it will,as it has previously done, make its ownsovereign decision. It is longstanding policythat the union will decide for itself whetheror not to be bound by an aggregate vote ofunions of the PSC in matters affecting termsand conditions of employment.

Members of both INTO and ASTI have alsorejected the proposed Agreement in nationalballots – the INTO in May, the ASTI inOctober.

Initial meeting regarding new entrantpay issues

Following acceptance of the PSSA, the PSCsought earlier commencement of theexamination/review of issues related to newentrant scales. The TUI was represented at aninitial meeting of the review on October12th.

INTO and ASTI also attended, along withother public sector unions and officials fromthe Department of Public Expenditure andReform. It was agreed at the meeting thatdetailed, updated data is required to informthe process. That data is being provided bythe relevant Departments.

TUI has criticised the content of thePublic Service Pay and Pensions Bill2017, describing the sanctions it setsout for non-compliance with thePublic Service Stability Agreement(PSSA) as ‘outrageous’. The Bill, whichwas published on 7th November,allows Government to inflict a rangeof punitive measures on members ofthose unions considered to be outsidethe PSSA, including a freeze onincrements until 2020 and a nine-month delay on the payment ofincreases.

However, if the Union is deemed to be‘covered’ by the agreement (ie not to haverepudiated it), the punitive measures willnot apply.

Regardless, the Bill represents a heavy-handed, oppressive effort by Government

to coerce compliance with an agreementthat, in its current form, leaves a grossinjustice intact in terms of pay inequality.

TUI of course recognises that whenindustrial action is taken, there are, in thenormal course of events, consequences.However, the consequences mapped out inthe Bill are entirely disproportionate andperverse. They would have the mostdamaging and dramatic effect on preciselythe same new and recent entrants to thepublic service who have suffereddiscrimination and pay inequality by virtuesimply of the date that they commencedtheir public service employment.

The outrageous sanctions set out wouldpursue the punished to the grave. We havebeen told by Government that theemergency is over. However, the anti-publicservice attitude that characterised the era

of austerity is clearly still in the ascendant.

TUI calls on fair-minded politicians of allparties and none to reject the oppressiveapproach set out in the Bill and we will bemaking strong representations to them inthis regard.

TUI makes no apology for its demand thatpay equality should apply and that new andrecent entrants to teaching and lecturingshould not suffer discrimination.

Along with other unions which rejected theagreement, TUI has recently engaged ingood faith with Government on the issue ofpay inequality. The publication of this Billmust not be allowed to impede or delay thenecessary and just process of eliminatingpay inequality.

Bill ‘a heavy-handed, oppressive effort to coerce compliance’ - TUI

TUI NEWS


TUI protests over damage toInstitute of Technology sectorAcademic staff staged lunchtime protestsoutside Institutes of Technology, DáilÉireann and the Higher EducationAuthority (HEA) offices on 27thSeptember over the funding crisis withintheir sector, in which TUI represents over4,000 members.

Speaking on the day, TUI President JoanneIrwin said that while the significant increase

in third level participation was welcome,the complete failure by successivegovernments to provide appropriatefunding and to maintain appropriate staffinglevels had been hugely damaging to thesector, the working conditions of academicstaff and the educational experience ofstudents.

Between 2008 and 2015, student numbers

(continued overleaf)

Lunchtime protests outside Institutes of Technology,27th September

within the Institute of Technology sectorrose by 21,411 or 32%. Over the sameperiod, the number of lecturers fell by 535or 9.5%.

The latest international data shows thatspending on third level in Ireland is just1.1% of GDP, more than 30% below theOECD average of 1.6%

As a result of the fall in lecturer numbersand the steep rise in student numbers,lecturer workload has increasedconsiderably. Findings of a survey carriedout by TUI (April 2015) show that lecturerswere experiencing high levels of work-related stress as a result of cutbacks andrationalisation of the sector, and we believethat the situation has worsened since then.

Academic workload in the Institutes ofTechnology is disproportionate, unfair andunsustainable, and with lecturing deliveryhours significantly above domestic andinternational norms, academic staff areseverely restricted in terms of theirengagement with research. TUI has urgedthe Department of Education and Skills toengage with us on the crisis.

TUI NEWS


Dáil protest, 27th September

March for publicly funded third third level education, 4th October

TUI NEWS


TUI calls for 1% corporate tax levy for higher education TUI has again called for the application of anadditional 1% levy to corporation tax to create adedicated fund for investment in higher education.

The union has highlighted how such a measure wouldhave raised an additional €588m in funding for thesector in 2016. The Cassells expert group reportedlast year that the sector will require additional annualfunding of €600m by 2021.

The corporate sector consistently derives benefitfrom Ireland’s deep and excellent graduate labourpool which is largely the product of the publiceducation system - funded by taxpayers. Theintroduction of a levy would further enhance thequality of the graduate labour pool, the capacity ofinstitutions to meet evolving need and, ultimately, thesustainability of the enterprises that contribute to thefund.

Ultimately, students and their families would benefitfrom the application of the levy TUI is advocating, which, in addition to improving the educationexperience, would largely remove the need for a system of income contingent loans. Increasingtuition fees, let us remember, is privatisation in a flimsy disguise.

A levy would represent a wholly appropriate contribution by corporations that would allow themcounter the perception that they have no allegiance to the society from which they benefit so much.

The union notes that corporation tax is payable only in respect of profits made by companies andorganisations and that, while the nominal rate of this tax is 12.5% - significantly below theinternational norm - the effective rate is considerably lower still. Considerations of corporateresponsibility, social equity, the maintenance of public funding of higher education and theundesirability of further increasing the cost to students of participation in higher education arguestrongly for a tangible and substantial contribution by corporations that is channelled through thetaxation system.

TUI supportsstudentcampaign infavour ofpublicly fundedhighereducation

TUI also supported theUnion of Students inIreland (USI) nationaldemonstration on 4thOctober in favour ofpublicly funded highereducation. UnionPresident Joanne Irwin andother TUI representativesmarched with thousandsof students and otherstakeholders throughDublin to a rally inMerrion Square, where ITTallaght lecturer MartinMarjoram emphasised theimportance of the USIcampaign and outlined thenegative impact of thefunding crisis on thestudent experience andthe quality of provision inan address to thoseassembled.

New Executive Committee membersThere have been two recent changes to the Executive Committee, with Les Begley and Brendan Greene taking up the Area 7 and Area 12positions, respectively. Sincere thanks are extended to Leonard O’ Donnell and Martin Killeen for their hard work and dedication on behalfof members over the course of their terms of office.

Area 7ETB areas: Kerry, Co. Limerick

LES BEGLEY(Youthreach/VTOScentre, Killorglin AdultLearning Centre,Killorglin, Co. Kerry)

Elected unopposed

Replaced Leonard O’ Donnell as Area 7representative.

Area 12C&C counties: Cavan, Donegal, Galway,Leitrim, Longford, Mayo,Monaghan, Roscommon,Sligo and Westmeath

BRENDANGREENE (St Clare's ComprehensiveSchool, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim)

Elected following a ballot ofmembers in Area 12

Replaced Martin Killeen asArea 12 representative

TUI NEWS


TUI NEWS


TUI NEWS


Important dates to Annual Congress 201815th September 2017 Nomination forms for annual elections issued

18th December 2017(R)Last date for receipt of motions from Branches, ExecutiveCommittee and Security Fund Committee to Head Office forsubmission to Standing Orders Committee.

8th January 2018Last date for receipt of nominations for positions of Vice-President, Security Fund Committee (1 vacancy), StandingOrders Committee for Areas 10 and 19 and AreaRepresentatives for the following areas:

Area: 1 Wicklow, Kildare, Laois and Carlow3 Cavan, Monaghan, Louth and Meath5 Tipperary N.R., Clare and Limerick City7 Kerry, Limerick County9 Cork City and Cork County11 Galway City, Galway County and Mayo13 C&C Schools in Counties Cavan, Dublin, Kildare,

Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Wicklow15 Third Level Colleges – Dublin (excluding City),

Louth, Monaghan, Cavan, Meath, Kildare, Offaly, Laois, Wicklow, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford

17 Third Level Colleges - Cork, Tipperary and WIT19 Third Level Colleges – Kerry, Limerick, Clare,

Galway, Mayo.Please note that nominations will close at 2.30 p.m. on 8thJanuary rather than 5.00 p.m.

18th January 2018Issue of ballot papers for elections

30th January 2018(R)Preliminary Agenda will issue to Branches

5th February 2018 Last date for receipt of annual election ballot papers

13th February 2018(R)Last date for receipt of:� amendments to Preliminary Agenda

� order of priority for motions in each section

� names of delegates to Congress

13th March 2018(R)The Final Agenda will issue; also the General Secretary'sReport; Balance Sheet and Financial Statement; names ofdelegates to Congress and the Branches represented.

27th March 2018(R)Last date for receipt of questions on the Annual Report andAnnual Accounts.

3rd April 2018 Annual Congress opensNote:Rule 13 (ii) which reads as follows determines the number ofdelegates:

“One delegate from each Branch of which the members inbenefit do not exceed thirty and one delegate for eachfraction of thirty, as per the following table:

Members Delegates

1 - 30 1

31 - 60 2

61 - 90 3

91 - 120 4

121 - 150 5

151 - 180 6

and so on”.

In-benefit members for the purpose of arriving at the numberof delegates to the Annual Congress are fully paid-upmembers for the month of December whose subscriptionshave been received by the General Secretary on or before thelast Friday in February, i.e. Friday, 23rd February 2018.Delegates to Annual Congress shall be elected by theirBranches at the Annual General Meeting or at a properlyconvened Branch Meeting where the item appears on theAgenda

25th April 2018Last date for receipt of nominations for the position ofPresident.

11th May 2018 Ballot papers for election of President will issue.

30th May 2018Last date for receipt of ballot papers for Presidential election.

Note: (R) = Under Rule

TUI NEWS


Reservations for accommodation during Annual Congress canbe made with the following hotels:

Maldron Hotel Wexford Tel: 053 9172000Email [email protected]€100 per single room per night B&B€75 per person sharing per night B&B in twin/double room€25 per child from 5 – 14 years.Bookings must be made before 6th February 2018 to avail of theabove rates.

Ferrycarrig Hotel Tel: 053 9120999Email [email protected]€130 single room per night B&B€70 per person sharing per night B&B Children 0-3 years comp. 4-12 an extra €20 per child pernight B&B Bookings must be made before 20th February 2018 to avail of theabove rates.

Talbot Hotel WexfordTel: 053 9122566 Email [email protected]€125 per single room per night B&B€85 per person sharing per night B&BBookings must be made before 20th February 2018 to avail of theabove rates.

ReservationsReservations should be made directly with the hotels. Thereare no booking forms required.

CrècheFurther information regarding the crèche, including applicationforms, will be sent to you at a later date.

Meals at CongressAll meals will be available in the Clayton Whites Hotel.

Annual Congress 2018 3rd – 5th April 2018

Congress 2018 will take place in Wexford. It will be held in the ClaytonWhites Hotel, Abbey Street, Ferrybank South, Wexford.

TUI NEWS


CROKE PAR YOUR RIG

RESPONSIBILIT As members are acutely aware, hours dedicated to specified school-related activitieshave become formalised over the past fifteen years, both through collectiveagreements, and, latterly by imposition.

The Croke Park Hours commitments should be considered in conjunction with those set out in Circular Letter M58/04: Arrangements for Parent/Teacher and Staff Meetings.

Circular LetterM58/04: Arrangementsfor Parent/Teacher and Staff Meetings

• One staff meeting per term

• Three formal parent/teachermeetings per year

Croke Park Hours

1. Hours on ‘a whole-school basis’

The provisions of the Croke ParkAgreement provided for acommitment of an additional 33 non-teaching hours per school year forteachers working in Post-Primary andFurther Education settings. The termsof the agreement became operativefor schools in February 2011.

TUI has negotiated an increase to 10(of the 33 hours) available that can beused on other than a whole-schoolbasis (see next section). Circular Letter 25/2011 sets out the

initial mechanism for scheduling theremaining 23 hours:

Paragraph 3 of Circular Letter25/2011:

(a) School management may designatethe usage of the… hours in blocksof 1 or 2 hours (save in the case ofadditional parent/ teacher meetingswhere the existing time provisionsset out in Circular M58/04 willapply). Except as set out at (b)below, these will be scheduled overthe course of the 167 day schoolyear and the time period should bescheduled outside the normal schoolhours.

(b) Where there is a consensusamong the school staff to sodo, school management may utiliseall or part of the hours in questionoutside of the 167 days duringwhich the school is open for tuition.Similarly, where there is aconsensus, school management mayutilise all or part of the hours inblocks of more than 2 hours overthe course of the 167 day schoolyear. In such event, the time periodshould be scheduled outside thenormal school hours.

It should be clearly noted thatconsensus is required for allblocks of hours exceeding 2hours. Where the hours do notexceed 2 hours, consensus is notrequired, although best practice is thatthe scheduling involves consultationwith the teaching staff.

The circular also sets out therequirement that the school calendarbe issued to staff at thecommencement of the academic year(paragraph 8):

The usage of the additional hours willbe outlined as appropriate in theschool calendar which is madeavailable to the school community atthe commencement of each schoolyear.

Typical activities carried out on awhole-school basis includesupplementary parent/teachermeetings, CPD for the whole staff,supplementary staff meetings, opennights/days etc.

RK HOURS GHTS AND

IES EXPLAINED

TUI NEWS


Part-time and Job-Sharing StaffJob-Sharing and part-time staffhave a pro-rata obligation inrespect of the Croke Parkhours.

Jobs-sharing staff are expectedto (As set out in the Job-SharingChapter of The Terms andConditions of Employment forRegistered Teachers inRecognised Primary and PostPrimary Schools, Chapter 9 – Job Sharing Scheme,Paragraph 6):

• Be present for 11.5 hours ofwhole-school Croke Parkhours

• Undertake 5 hours of theCroke Park hours on ‘other than a whole schoolbasis’.

Part-time staff have a similarpro-rata obligation, dependenton their quota of hours

2. Hours on ‘other than awhole-school basis’

The most recent circular letter settingout usage/scheduling of 10 of the 33Croke Park hours on ‘other than awhole school basis’ is Circular Letter48/2017 which amended previouscirculars to clarify:

…with effect from the beginning ofthe 2017/18 school year, an amountof time up to but not in excess of 10hours (of the 33 hours) will beavailable for planning anddevelopment work on other than awhole-school basis and as approved bymanagement.

Best practice, in relation to theverification and accountability tomanagement, and in relation to theapproval of management, is that eachteacher submits a plan for theirpersonal usage of these hours tomanagement, early in the academicyear, for approval. In order to assistmanagement in accounting for thesehours, teachers should, where possible,supply attendance certificates for CPDattended or a short minute ofmeetings held. A template for such aminute is appended to Circular Letter43/2014.

For clarity, each whole-timeteacher is entitled to schedule 10of the 33 hours using their ownprofessional discretion. Thereference to “up to and not in excessof” is to enable a teacher to choosenot to use all of the 10 hours forplanning and development work onother than a whole-school basis and to participate in more than 23 hours of whole-school events ifthey so wish.

Typical activities carried out on other than a whole-school basisinclude subject department planning, attendance at subjectassociation meetings, CPD in one’sown time etc.

For full details on the Croke Park Hours, see Circular Letters25/2011, 43/2014 and 48/2017.

For further details onparent/teacher meetings and staff meetings, see Circular Letter M58/04

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TUI NEWS


With a ten-year track record in India, Global Schoolroom,supported by TUI and the other teacher unions, is entering into anexciting new stage in its mission to eradicate poverty, promoteeconomic development and build sustainable communities throughthe provision of quality education. For the first time, programmesare being introduced to Sierra Leone and Kenya.

Pilot Teacher Education Programme, Sierra Leone, July2017Six Global Schoolroom tutors travelled to Sierra Leone in July forthree weeks, where they worked with teachers from seven schoolsin the Bombali and Kono Districts. Approximately 120 teachersparticipated in seminars, workshops, lectures and other activities aspart of Year 1 of the Global Schoolroom Teacher EducationProgramme. The teachers learned how to create effective learningenvironments. Classroom management skills, teachingmethodologies and educational psychology were amongst theother topics covered. The teachers are participating in Year 1 of athree-year programme with Global Schoolroom.

The Global Schoolroom tutors received a warm welcome from theteachers and the Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny in Sierra Leone. Thestudents in the schools were very curious about the tutors fromIreland and had lots of questions for them.

Official Opening of the Global Schoolroom TeacherEducation Programme, Makeni, Sierra Leone, July 2017Ms Agnes Kamara, Deputy Director for Education in the BombaliDistrict, officially opened the Global Schoolroom TeacherEducation Programme in Makeni. As a representative of theMinister for Education, she wished the teachers success in thecompletion of the Global Schoolroom Teacher EducationProgramme and she looks forward to seeing the positive results inthe participating schools. She indicated that she would like to seeGlobal Schoolroom’s teacher education programme delivered inmany other schools in the Bombali District in the future.

Welcome from the Sisters of St Joseph of ClunyGlobal Schoolroom is working with schools that are under thepatronage of the Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny in Sierra Leone. Thesisters ensured that the Global Schoolroom tutors werecomfortable, safe and made feel welcome throughout their stay inSierra Leone. Sr Catherine Jarra, the Provincial of the West AfricanVice Province of the Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny, visited the GlobalSchoolroom tutors and participating teachers to wish them everysuccess with the programme. Sr Catherine Jarra, a former teacher,emphasised the importance of having well trained teachers inSierra Leone to improve the education system in Sierra Leone.

Global Schoolroom programme extends toSierra Leone and Kenya

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The wellbeing of children and vulnerablepersons is a central element of theprofessional responsibility of teachers. Thisis why the Teaching Council has included arequirement to be vetted as part of theregistration process since 2007.

It is vitally important that we ensure that allregistered teachers are vetted in order toensure continuing public confidence andtrust in the profession.

At present, 83% of the 97,000 teachers onthe Register have been vetted. Since thestart of 2017, the Teaching Council hassuccessfully facilitated the vetting of morethan 16,000 of the 32,000 registeredteachers who had not been previouslyvetted through the Council.

On 11 September, the Council issuednotices to the remaining 16,500 registeredteachers who are now required to bevetted. If you are one of these teachers, you

are asked to comply with both stages of thevetting application process in the 28 daytimeframe specified in order for you to beeligible to renew your registration on yourrenewal date.

Due to the high volume of applications thatare being received and processed atpresent, the turnaround time forapplications once received has increasedfrom one week to approximately fourweeks. You can log in to the National VettingBureau website and use your vettingapplication number to check the status ofyour application.

If you have been previously vetted throughthe Council, you are exempt from theretrospective vetting requirement. You cancheck your vetting status by logging on tothe My Registration section of the TeachingCouncil website www.teachingcouncil.ie. Ifyour vetting status is “approved” then youare exempt from the retrospective vetting

process. You can take a screenshot of thevetting status screen to present to youremployer.

The DES Circular 0016/2017 sets out thestatutory requirements for theretrospective vetting of teaching staff. Thestatutory vetting requirements for teacherschanging schools/jobs continue to apply asset out in DES Circular 31/2016.

More information is available at the FAQsection of the Teaching Council websitewhich has Retrospective Vetting FAQs forteachers and Schools/Principals. The FAQsection of the Department of Education andSkills' website also provides informationregarding the retrospective vetting process.

The Council would like to thank you foryour cooperation and collaboration inensuring that the Register of teachers willconsist of 100% vetted teachers.

The following text has been provided by the Teaching Council

Retrospective Vetting Update

The TUI Golf Society finished its season with the playingof the Captain’s (Denis Magner) Prize on 23rdSeptember in Roscrea Golf Club. Though windy, it wasan otherwise fine day but scoring was difficult.

Results of the Captain’s Prize are as follows:• Winner of Men’s Cat 1 - Denis Magner• 2nd in Men’s Cat 1 – Gerry Kelly• Winner of Men’s Cat 2 – Pat McNamara• 2nd in Men’s Cat 2 – Eugene O’Sullivan• Winner of Ladies – Josephine Fitzpatrick• 2nd in Ladies- Angela Doherty• Captain’s Prize Winner – Tom Buckley

Results of Golfer of the Year• 3rd Tom Buckley - 90 points • 2nd Kieran Walsh - 92 points• Winner – Denis Magner - 98 points

The presentation was then followed by the AGM and the followingwere elected:Captain: Kieran WalshTreasurer: Tommy GlynnSubscription Secretary: Tommy BuckleyTime Sheet Organiser: Don RyanOther Committee members: Denis Magner, Finola Butler,Angela Doherty and Paddy Hogan.

The Golf Society had their annual trip abroad to Tavira in Portugal.They stayed at the four star Maria Nova Hotel and during the weekthey played at the following clubs: Benamor Golf Club, Quinta DaVale Golf Club, Quinta Da Ria Golf Club and Castro Marim GolfClub.

The weather was beautiful, the golf very good and a greattime was had by all, with many of the group expressing aninterest in returning to the same place next year.

The first event for the 2017/18 golfing year is a two day stayin Kells playing the new captain’s home courses of HeadfordOld and New Courses at a cost of €175 per person sharing. New members are always welcome. The sub is €20 a year -

payable to Subscription Secretary Tommy Buckley, 10 VerbenaPark Sutton, Dublin 13.

Thanks to Paul Roche, Austin Stewart and TUI Credit Union fortheir support, especially for sponsoring the Golfer of the Yeartrophies. Please support the TUI Credit Union when saving orinvesting money.

TUI Golf Society

TUI NEWS


TUI NEWS


Update on CurriculumDevelopmentIn Ireland, the power to prescribe the curriculum is vested in the Minister forEducation and Skills under the Education Act 1998. However, such decisionsare informed by extensive work undertaken by the National Council forCurriculum and Assessment (NCCA). A wide range of stakeholders isrepresented on the NCCA including the teacher unions and managementbodies. Since the start of the 2017/2018 academic year, a number ofdevelopments of interest to TUI members have taken place, as summarisedbelow.

Junior CycleSpecifications for Music, Geography, History and Home Economicshave recently been completed.A consultation process is also ongoing in relation to the the upcomingrevision of Religious Education, Classics, Maths and the suite ofTechnology Subjects in Junior Cycle. Members are encouraged to read the background paper and submit their views to the NCCA. All relevant information is available athttp://www.juniorcycle.ie/Curriculum/Consultation

Leaving CertificateA consultation process will soon open for Applied Maths.

The specification for Economics has recently been completed.

Leave of absence followingassault Following extensive negotiations, a scheme providing leave of absence forteachers following assault has been agreed between the DES, teacher unionsand school management bodies. This scheme is separate from the general sickleave scheme.

This issue had been pursued by TUI officials with the DES for a number ofyears, and the scheme will be in place for an initial two years on a pilot basis.

Full details are set out in Circular Letter 61/2017, which provides for:

• A recording of incidents of assault.

• Assault leave to be available where there is a medically certified physicalinjury requiring absence from work.

• Provision for up to three months’ assault leave at full pay in a rolling four-year period (with an extension to six months on full pay in exceptionalcircumstances).

• Substitute cover for assault-related absences.

• A teacher’s sick leave record not being affected by such absences.

How can a teacher apply for assault leave?

An application form (Appendix A of Circular 61/2017) must be completed bythe teacher concerned and by the employer and forwarded by the employerto the Department/ETB within a week of the incident occurring.

Child ProtectionUpdateIn October 2017, Minister Zappone T.D., Ministerfor Children and Youth Affairs, announced that allremaining provisions of the Children’s First Act2005 would be enacted from December 11th 2017.

The commencement of the provisions means thatnew obligations attach to organisations providingservices to children to prepare and publish a ChildSafeguarding Statement. Child SafeguardingStatements must be completed within threemonths of the date of enactment. The enactmentof the provisions also means that a new legalresponsibility will now attach to ‘mandatedpersons’. TUI members should note that ‘mandatedpersons’ specifically includes teachers.

Tusla has published a suite of documents to adviseorganisations and staff in relation to the updatedand expanded requirements. Those documents areavailable from the Tusla website atwww.tusla.ie/publications.

The TUI has been in discussions with theDepartment of Education and Skills regarding therevised obligations. The TUI has repeatedly askedfor training to be provided to schools, teachers andboards of management to ensure that allstakeholders are aware of their responsibilities, andto ensure that all children are protected. Thesediscussions continue but the TUI is deeplyconcerned that the DES has not yet clarified what,if any, training is going to be provided. The TUI hasmade clear that, in the absence of training in howto determine whether a ‘reasonable concern’ ofabuse exists, all members should report anysuspected cases of child abuse to the DesignatedLiaison Person as soon as possible. Membersshould note that all schools must have a DesignatedLiaison Person, usually the Principal Teacher, and aDeputy Liaison Person, usually the Deputy PrincipalTeacher or Guidance Counsellor. Real concernexists that, despite the best efforts of staff involved,Tusla does not have the resources available to deal,in a timely fashion, with any increased number ofreports of suspected abuse that may arise due tothe revised reporting requirements.

Tusla has provided an online training module on itswebsite for all people and organisations workingwith children. The TUI has welcomed this onlinemodule but has made clear that it cannot substitutefor face-to-face training that allows teachers, schoolleaders and school boards of management to ask‘what if ’ questions.

The TUI continues to discuss with the DES theissues of training, legal responsibility, and theavailability of information. In the meantime, the TUIurges members to familiarise themselves with therevised obligations. The TUI will update memberswhen further information becomes available.

TUI NEWS


Palestinian school supported by TUIdestroyed on eve of new school yearBy Muireann de Barra, TUI member

Visiting Palestine By Billy Fitzpatrick, former President, TUI

The start of the school year was expectedto be a happy one for the children ofremote Palestinian West Bank village, JubbetAl Dheeb, with the opening of a new schoolbuilt with the support of the TUI ThirdWorld Development Fund, the EU andInternational NGOs, among others.

Hopes were dashed, however, when newsbroke on the morning of what was to be itsfirst day, that the school had beendismantled and chairs and tables confiscatedovernight by order of Israeli authorities.This left families, teachers and the widercommunity in shock. It is reported that theconfiscation order was presented on thesame night as the demolition.

The school was built to relieve children ofthe burden of having to walk an hour eachway to the nearest school, while theprospect of a new school offered hope of asustainable future for the children.

The wilful destruction of the schoolreceived international media attention(CNN, Independent UK, Al Jazeera) and waswidely condemned. Belgium demanded thatthe Israeli authorities provide ‘explanationsas well as compensation’ to the community.The EU also condemned Israel’s actions.Israeli Human rights organisation B’Tselemcriticised the actions saying that it

‘epitomises the administrative cruelty andsystematic harassment by authoritiesdesigned to drive Palestinians from theirland’.

Israel defended its actions by saying theschool was built without the necessarypermissions. The community has sincesubmitted a planning application to build apermanent school on the site. Any

construction in Area C, which comprisesmore than 60 percent of the West Bank,requires a building permit, 98.5 percent ofwhich are denied according to the UN.

Commenting on the destruction of theschool, TUI President Joanne Irwindescribed it as ‘repressive’ and ‘repugnant tothe values of true educators and anoutrageous attack on children’s rights.’

From the roof of ‘The Star’ hotel inBethlehem, an Israeli sniper team fixedon a randomly-chosen student in thenearby University of Bethlehem. 18-year-old Ishaq Abu Sror collapsed to theground, shot through the heart.University students and staff took to the streets in protest. Thus began thefirst Intifada (‘casting-off ’), a series oflargely non-violent strikes anddemonstrations.

The Israeli government responded tothe protests by shutting down theuniversity, for three years. They showedcontempt to world opinion, outraged atthe course of events. They closed down

all the schools - primary, secondary andeven kindergartens – in the city. Forthree years.

For these and other related events overa prolonged period, Palestinian civilsociety called for a worldwide boycottof the Israeli state, including its academicinstitutions. In 2013, TUI Congresscarried a resolution calling for the ICTUto intensify its campaign for boycott,divestment and sanctions (BDS) againstthe apartheid state of Israel until it liftedits illegal siege of Gaza and its illegaloccupation of the West Bank, and agreedto abide by International law. It alsocalled for an awareness campaign among

TUI members, and for union membersto cease all academic cooperation withIsrael.

Recently, I was part of a visiting Irishgroup that stayed in the same hotelreferred to above.

On our first one-hour visit to thechildrens’ education and hobby centre inthe Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, wewere collateral victims of two gasattacks carried out by the Israeli armyon stone-throwing kids in the streetoutside. This is not teargas, we were told,but a type of CS gas banned in Europe.

Our programme was multi-faceted and

TUI member Muireann de Barra at the proposed site of the school at Jubbet Al Dheeb withcommunity members in April 2017

TUI NEWS


we took in a visit to the Jewish Settlementof Kiryat Arba, near Hebron. We learnedthat most settlers come from abroad,mainly the USA and Russia. The rabbi wasfrom Chicago. We heard elsewhere thatlow-income workers in Israeli, who cannotafford house prices there, are alsoencouraged to transfer to the settlementsin occupied Palestine. They are all givenPalestinian land, mortgage-free, and theforeigners granted Israeli citizenship rightssimply by claiming to be of Jewish descentor, alternatively, by converting to Judaism onapplication. A former student of mine fromCrumlin in Dublin is one such settler.

We found that even Palestinian SpecialNeeds centres are subject to harassmentand the dreaded ‘permits’ regime. Wevisited one on the outskirts of Jerusalemthe day before the children were due totake a few days holiday in the Jordan Valley.The permits still hadn’t arrived by mid-afternoon. This happens every single year,the director told us, so that nobody canever relax or look forward.

We visited a refugee camp, this time nearNablus. The camp is one kilometre squarein area and is home to 28,000 displaced

Palestinians. We had to walk in single filedown its ‘streets’. The inhabitants’ discipline,pride and orderliness are astonishing.However, a gas attack here can have seriousconsequences.

Palestinian refugees have had to endure thisKafkaesque nightmare for almost seventyyears now. Nevertheless, a common refrainfrom West Bank community leadersthroughout the week was that things were‘infinitely worse in Gaza’.

On the final night, our Bethlehem tourcompany hosted a dinner and aperformance by a traditional Palestiniandance troupe. As we left, a scattering ofPalestinian kids clapped us out calling ‘Bye,bye, we love you!’ Walking a few pacesahead of us, I could see that fellow TUImember, Finbar Geaney, was deeplyaffected. For him and others this wasprobably the hardest moment of all.

Note: members can access an Irish Timesreport by a former RTE broadcaster, whowas a member of our group. Search words:Mike Murphy, Degradation of the Palestinians,Irish Times.

Former Executive Committee member Finbar Geaney holds spent gas cartridge on the

roof of the Aida Children's Centre

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TUI NEWS


TUI PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

PRE-RETIREMENT SEMINARDATE VENUE TICk BOx FOR

PREFERRED VENUE

Monday 29th January, 2018 The Gresham Hotel,9.00am - 4.30pm Dublin

Thursday 15th March 2018 The Hodson Bay Hotel,9.00am - 4.30pm Athlone,

Co. Westmeath

APPLICATION FORM

Name

School/College Telephone Number

Email Address

Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Please ensure you complete this form in full and return to the address below.Alternatively, you may email the completed Application Form for the attention of Liz Daly/Carol Ryan to: [email protected]

TUI, 73 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6

Telephone: (01) 4922588 (Press 0) Fax: (01) 4922953

TUI NEWS


RMA NewsThe season of change – autumn – hasarrived, but in some regards little haschanged as we are still lobbying for pensionrestoration and the repeal of FinancialEmergency Measures in the Public Interest(FEMPI) Act.

Through our membership of the Alliance ofRetired Public Servants we have been busyon your behalf during the past few months.Officers of the Alliance met with Minister for Public Expenditure and ReformPaschal Donohoe in July and the currentsituation is as follows:

Pre-March 2012 Retirees No change to the timetable for the removalof Public Servants Pension Reduction(PSPR).Everyone with a pension below €34,132will, from January 2018 be exempt fromPSPR, that is 80% of all Public Servants.Parity with serving peers is retained for thelifetime of the Public Service StabilityAgreement (PSSA).No timetable for the removal of PSPR onpensions over €34,132.

Post-February 2012The injustice of having pension based onreduced salary has been recognised, andthose affected will receive pension increasesin line with the pay increases received bytheir serving peers.

Low Paid Public SectorPensionersLow paid public sector pensioners will gainunder parity. Any increase applied to theirserving peer will apply to them.

Branch meetings So far this term, branch meetings have takenplace in Galway, Cork, Carlow, Louth, theMidlands, The South East, Wicklow andMeath. I would remind members that ourconstitution allows a member to participatein whichever branch is nearest to them.This time of the year is also time for BranchAGMs. Branch Officers should update uswhen there are changes, and perhaps shouldtake a look at the constitution on thewebsite regarding requirements. If funding isrequired from the RMA, the BranchTreasurer should submit a statement ofexpenditure for the year. This should besubmitted in any event after the BranchAGM.

The membership of the RMA is constantlychanging. Each year, members pass, othersforget to renew, but of course we get new

blood too. This year over 40 new membershave joined already, but we know that thereare many more out there. On behalf of theRMA Officers and Management Committee,I want to thank the President, Vice-President, General Secretary and the TUIArea Representatives for their work inencouraging retirees to join the RMA, andtheir help in encouraging Branches to fundthe first year’s subscription for new RMAmembers.

As I write this I am looking forward towelcoming my RMA colleagues and friendsto the Boyne Valley Hotel for our AutumnBreak. On March 20th, 21st and 22nd 2017we are heading to the South West for ourspring break in the Celtic Ross HotelRosscarbery Co. Cork, more details in ournext issue and these details will be on ourwebsite www.rmatui.ie shortly. I am verygrateful to our former Chairperson Jim McCarthy for details on the recentCroatia trip.

By now all RMA members have received their TUI Diary. But remember, if you don’tpay your subscription, don’t expect to be on the mailing list in future. We encouragemembers whose pensions are paid by PSSC (retirees from VECs/ETBs/IoTs) tocomplete the ‘consent’ form available on www.rmatui.ie and send it to our Treasurer, orany Officer of the RMA.

Finally, I want to encourage all retired TUI members to:a) join RMATUI if you haven’t already done so andb) attend at least some RMA Branch meetings.

Most branches have a social and/or cultural dimension, with theatre/cinema visits, guestspeakers at meetings, Christmas lunches, trips and so on. National Officers of the RMAregularly attend the local meetings to provide updates on the work of the ManagementCommittee, our dialogue with TUI and reports from the Alliance of Retired PublicServants.

Dan Keane, RMA Secretary

Croatia TripThis year, for the first time, theRMA linked up with the TravelDepartment to make a breakabroad available to members. This7-night half board break was inIstria in Northern Croatia, on theAdriatic Coast, and took place inmid-September. There were 10 inthe RMA group, out of a total of 47in the full Travel Department group.Members from the followingcounties were there: Carlow, Cavan,Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Tipperary, and it was a very enjoyable break. We were basedin Porec, a very historic town and attractive resort, with excellent walking routes. Westayed in the Valamar Hotel Crystal, which was a very good choice, with helpful staff,comfortable rooms and good food.

Our first organised outing was a guided walking tour of Porec. Later on, there was avery interesting day trip to Pula, the capital of Istria, which has many Romanarchitectural remains, including an amphitheatre which is the sixth largest survivingRoman arena in the world. On the way back, we visited Motovun, an ancient hilltopvillage. Another day trip involved a boat tour to Rovinj, a beautiful hilly town, withsightings of dolphins on the way back.

It is hoped to organise another continental break for members next year in conjunctionwith the Travel Department.

RMA members in Croatia

TUI NEWS


ACROSS1 Forceful and definite in expression or action (8)5 1986 fantasy film starring Sean Connery and Christopher

Lambert (10)12 Cause to accept or become hardened to; habituate (5)13 1975 E.L. Doctrow novel set in early 20th century New

York (7)14 ------ Boy, Irish sitcom created by Chris O'Dowd (5)15 Spaghetti Western starring Clint Eastwood (1,7,2,7)19 After the expected or usual time; delayed (5)20 The feeling of being bored by something tedious (5)21 Fifth letter of the Greek alphabet (7)22 Waterproof hat with wide slanting brim longer in back

than in front (9)24 An enclosed space for producing reverberation of a

sound (4,7)28 Sewing or embroidery (10)31 The state of being disregarded or forgotten (8)33 A metadata tag made popular through social media site

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46 Air Force station in Florida where many US spacecrafthave been launched from (4,9)

47 1990 romantic drama starring Patrick Swayze and DemiMoore (5)

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of religion or philosophy (5)43 Not forbidden; Lawful (5)44 A heavy block of iron or steel on which hot metals are

shaped by hammering (5)45 Urge on; cause to act (3,2)

Only one entry per member.Photocopies can be submitted.

Name ________________________

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Contact number

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TUI Branch

_____________________________

Send entries to TUI Crossword

December ‘17, TUI, 73 Orwell Rd,

Rathgar, Dublin 6

Closing date for entries:Wednesday, 12th January 2018

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