asked the Minister for Education if he will make a statement on the prospects of promotion to posts of special function which may be anticipated by persons now or in the immediate future entering the secondary teaching profession.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Secondary Teaching Promotions.
41.
I am having a memorandum in relation to my proposals in regard to salary and allowances for national, secondary and vocational teachers prepared at present for issue to all the interested parties. I expect to have these proposals issued within the next few weeks. In the meantime any statement by me on details of the proposals in question would, in my opinion, be inappropriate.
Is the Minister aware that the directive which he issued in this context to clerical managers is regarded by the Association of Secondary Teachers as a direct breach of the agreement negotiated with them by his predecessor? Is he further aware that the Association of Secondary Teachers has instructed its members as a direct consequence of the dispute referred to in my question not to mark this year's leaving certificate papers and that consequently at this very moment thousands of secondary school pupils are taking the leaving certificate not knowing whether or not their papers will be marked?
The question deals with the promotion of teachers.
I have already issued a statement and sent a letter to the ASTI in relation to this matter and I want again to assure candidates sitting for the leaving certificate examination that there is no reason why they should be in any way apprehensive about their examinations. I think it is very wrong of the Deputy to suggest to young people doing their examinations that their papers will not be marked. I want to repeat to these young people that their papers will be marked.
Do not think it is wrong of me to suggest that their papers may not be marked. The point at issue is will they be marked by qualified people who normally mark them? I am not endeavouring in any way to exacerbate this situation. I am only saying to the Minister that he has an opportunity, directly arising from my question here, to make a statement that he will for the moment withdraw the directive which he issued to clerical managers and if he does that he knows from reading the papers today that the normally qualified people will mark these examination papers. Is he or is he not prepared to make that statement here this afternoon? In a few weeks time the examination will be over.
I met a deputation from the ASTI and I explained to them last Friday my reasons for the issue of the circular. I also explained to them why I could not withdraw the circular. They then had their meeting and decided on certain action. They informed me of this and again asked me if I would withdraw the circular. I said I could not withdraw it. I want to make this point: in deciding to issue the circular one thing I wanted to avoid was taking hasty action and I can assure the House that before issuing the circular on 29th May I studied fully all its implications. I must cherish equally all post-primary schools and I could not allow a position to develop in which vocational schools would not only be denuded of teachers but would fail to recruit new teachers. Apart from this, when endeavouring, after other efforts had failed, to produce an equitable solution to what everybody acknowledges is a very complex problem, I could not allow myself to be inhibited in any way. As I said at the outset, the circular was issued without prejudice.
Without prejudice to whom?
Cutting through the verbiage of the Minister's reply, if he does not mind me using the term, am I to understand that the Minister is not prepared this afternoon to make any statement for the reassurance of the pupils at present sitting for the leaving certificate examination that their papers will be marked in the normal way by the people who normally mark them?
He has made it.
He has not.
I issued a statement yesterday which was broadcast over television and radio and also appeared in the newspapers today and I told the young people not to be apprehensive about their examinations. I think that the best possible contribution that could possibly be made to this particularly difficult situation at present is to say nothing more about it and I appeal to the House to leave it at that.
Because of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply I am asking your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to raise the matter on the Adjournment.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.