ASTI - Ireland's main second level teachers union

Equity in the school system is a fundamental ASTI policy objective. The ASTI works to ensure that schools have the resources to allow all students to access the support they require in schools and to allow them to interact in the classroom and to fully engage with the curriculum. 

Intercultural education policy

The ASTI is cognisant of the great progress made in our schools in relation to the provision of education to immigrant children. The challenge is now to move to a policy of integration, which is more than the provision of education, and which aims to support schools to develop as inclusive learning communities focused on high achievement for all.

The ASTI participated in the national consultation conference on Intercultural Education Strategy in Autumn 2008. Below is a summary of ASTI policy recomendations:

• Sufficient investment is needed to ensure that all students – native and newcomer – are assisted to reach their potential and achieve high educational standards.
• Early and effective language acquisition is the “key” to all learning and is particularly significant at second level where the curriculum is highly differentiated and the Certificate examinations are aimed at promoting the highest standards of student achievement.
• A standardised training programme should be put in place for English as an additional language (EAL) teachers.
• The allocation mechanism for EAL teachers should take into account the needs of individual students
• The temporary allocation of EAL teachers, coupled with delays in their allocation, precludes experienced teaching staff from applying for these posts.
• Schools’ enrolment policies must be well designed to enable them to cope with the reality of enrolment during the school year and not exclude new arrivals in their communities.
• There is a need for ongoing professional development to enable teachers to gain the knowledge and skills to teach in multi-ethnic classrooms to a curriculum modeled on principles of equality, pluralism and raising achievement for all.

Click here to read the full ASTI submission.  

As part of the DES consultation process, the ASTI was invited to submit its views on the main issues of relevance to Irish education policy in the EU Green Paper on Migration and Mobility: Challenges and Opportunities for the EU Education Systems.  Click here to read the full ASTI submission on the four core issues in the  EU Green Paper.

Language support

Adequate language support is vital to ensuring that all students can fully engage with the curriculum and in school life.

Budget 2008 imposed a cap on the number of language support teachers and Budget 2011 signaled the loss of 500 language support teacher jobs over the following four years. The ASTI is committed to reversing these shortsighted cutbacks. See more on our campaign to oppose the cuts here.  

Clothing in schools

ASTI policy is that it would not be good practice for government to make a prescriptive policy statement in relation to the issue of wearing certain types of clothing at school for religious reasons. ASTI view is that the current system, whereby schools decide their uniform policy at a local level, is reasonable, works and should be maintained. 

Click here to see a letter from the ASTI to the 2008 Minister for State for Integration on this matter.

Click here to see current Department policy on this matter.