Teachers in talks to end curb on parent meetings
A CONTROVERSIAL ban on holding parent-teacher meetings outside school hours is likely to be lifted this week, the Irish Independent has learned.
The ban is causing hardship for parents who cannot get time off work to attend meetings to discuss their children's education.
Moves to lift the ban follow talks between the National Parents' Council Post Primary and the two unions who imposed it.
The executive of the Teachers' Union of Ireland and the standing committee of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland will review the situation at separate meetings towards the weekend.
The ban on parent-teacher meetings outside school hours as well as a number of other directives were introduced in protest against the education cuts -- the effects of which are being felt in schools this term.
However, it is now recognised that the ban makes it more difficult to secure parents' co-operation in stepping up the campaign against the cuts.
Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe had criticised the unions for the ban, saying that the parent-teacher meetings had been paid for under pay agreements. Under these, teachers are obliged to attend three formal meetings -- one per term -- which begin at 4.15pm and finish no later than 6.45pm.
The unions had directed that no such meetings could take place outside school hours. Many meetings, especially for third-year and final-year students, are due to be held over the next few weeks
Clive Byrne, director of the National Association of Principals and Deputies, said parents appreciated the flexibility in the past which allowed them to attend the meetings in late afternoon as it often meant both parents could get reports on how their children were doing.
The union directives were putting principals in an awkward position. They were being forced to timetable meetings during school hours until they received clarification, he said.
Directives
Even if the ban on parent-teacher meetings is lifted, other directives will remain, including one on large classes and another on limited co-operation with school inspections.
Sources say they are being ignored in many schools. While a small number of classes have had to re-ordered, Mr Byrne said that "flexibility and common sense" were being applied to get around the directive to limit general classes to 30 and practical classes to 24.
The directives were discussed at a meeting last week of the Teachers' Conciliation Council. The Department of Education and Science has made known its annoyance at the directives but allowed the unions some 'space' to lift the ban on parent-teacher meetings outside school hours.
- John Walshe Education Editor
