10th January 2020
Gerry Murphy, Northern Secretary of the INTO, speaking as Chairperson of the Northern Ireland Teachers Council [NITC], commenting on the proposed political deal [published on the night of January 9th, 2020] aimed at seeing the Executive restored said:
“The five teachers’ unions are optimistic that an Executive will be formed in the coming days which will lead to the redrawing of the educational landscape. The commitments expressed in the proposed deal; to urgently resolve the current teachers industrial dispute; address the resourcing pressures in schools and the proposed wider review of education provision are vital steps to securing the futures our members and the young people in their care.
Addressing these core problems has been central to the work undertaken by the teachers’ unions with the education employers over the past three years and we will not be found wanting when it comes to contributing to the work of delivering the improvements urgently needed for our members and the young people in our schools.
The NITC is the representative body for all teachers regardless of sector and school type and we speak with one voice when we say the time has come for those who work in education and those who attend our schools to get their due. The future of our society is dependent on an education system that is resourced sufficiently to be flexible and responsive to the needs of a changing world. This proposed political deal represents the putting in place of the necessary context to allow this to begin to happen.”
Justin McCamphill, National Official for the NASUWT, speaking as Secretary of the NITC added
“The five teacher unions have worked constructively with the education employers and the Department of Education over the past two years to put together a deal which begins to address the shortfall in teachers’ pay over the past decade and which closes the gap between pay in Northern Ireland and pay in the rest of the UK.”
“While an agreement in principle has been in place since last June it has been dependent on funding. If the draft text as presented by the Secretary of State and the Tánaiste is accepted there is no reason why the Department of Education cannot move quickly to make a final offer for consultation by the members of the constituent unions of the NITC.”
Ends.