Industrial action taken by teachers on the order of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) will result in parent-teacher meetings in hundreds of secondary schools being cancelled this week.

The ASTI has instructed its members to take action - including not attending meetings usually held outside of school hours - in response to the Government's breaching of the Croke Park Agreement, the Irish Independent reports.

According to the Joint Managerial Body and the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools, which represent managers in almost 500 schools that may be affected by the action and have issued recommendations on how to approach the issue, the priority for schools dealing with the move should be to avoid disruption to classes.

This includes preserving tuition time, but means other out-of-school activities - such as field trips and sports matches - may suffer. Disruption to such events would only be avoided if teachers agree to cover for their colleagues while they are supervising pupils on these trips.  

Written by Donal Walsh

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