ISSN 0791 1351

The scale in question, again as of 1/1/99, is as follows:

The asterisk signifies a scale point attaching to a permanent position.

In the last edition of ifut news, we showed the salaries paid on 1/7/97 and incorporating the first general phase increase under Partnership 2000 of 2.5 % on the first £10,436. Revised figures for that date take account of relativities which have just been conceded and the general increase of 1/4/98 applying 2.5% to the full salary of 30/6/97. These relativities entail increases in the EO/HEO and AP/PO areas of 0.75% (1/6/95), 0.75% (1/6/96), 0.5% (1/6/97) 1% (1/1/98), and 1.5% (1/1/99). In the latter two instances, a June date had been offered, but the union rejected this and demanded January, which was eventually conceded. The grades affected are generally Assistant/Junior Lecturer through to Associate Professor (except NUI,G) and equivalent. The flexibility conditions attaching thereto have already been circulated to members.

The British and Irish Group of Teachers’ Unions (BIGTU), representing teachers in all sectors of education in Ireland and the United Kingdom, together with the Irish Commission of UNESCO and the UK UNESCO Forum welcomes World Teachers’ Day in this, the 50th Anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

We celebrate the central place of education in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognise the role to be played by teachers in the promotion of the Declaration and its values and goals. We pay tribute to those teachers and human rights defenders who have continued to promote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights often at great personal cost.

Teachers are central to the values and goals of the Declaration. In the words of the Director-General of UNESCO, Frederico Mayor, "Teachers have a pivotal role to play in preparing the young generation to help realise our hopes that the coming century will see a more socially just, more tolerant and more peaceful world".

In the 50 years since the Declaration was signed, societies have become infinitely more complex. Developments such as new technology, globalisation, environmental threats, social change and instability, all pose new challenges to young people, and adults. Teachers play a key role in equipping people to live to the full in their own society and also in giving them the skills and knowledge to become world citizens.

As a result, the job of the teacher across the world has become more complex and more challenging. Yet the status, working conditions and career progression of teachers have not kept pace with the additional demands upon them. There has been a marked lack of progress in implementing the 1966 UNESCO/ILO recommendations on the status of teachers. In fact, in many ways, teachers have faced a deterioration in the conditions in which they work. UNESCO’s World Education Report 1998 states "What society currently expects of teachers in most countries could be out of proportion to the rewards it is prepared to accord to teachers for their efforts, the means typically put at their disposal, the difficult conditions under which many of them work and the present knowledge base of what makes for effective teaching and learning".

The British and Irish Group of Teachers’ Unions argues strongly that the status of teachers and the conditions in which they work must be enhanced if the next 50 years are to see the full realisation of the articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as society becomes more challenging and demanding, both nationally and globally.

The British and Irish Group of Teachers’ Unions calls upon governments and their departments, including education departments, treasuries and foreign offices to work with United Nations agencies, particularly UNESCO and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and with teachers and their organisations to better enable them to continue their valuable work.

representing approximately 650,000 teachers.

*(Originally just National Association of Teachers in Further & Higher Education.)

ASTI   Charlie Lennon, General Secretary

IFUT   Daltún Ó Ceallaigh, General Secretary

INTO   Joe O’Toole, General Secretary

TUI      Jim Dorney, General Secretary

IFUT SOLIDARITY WITH AUT OVER QUB

At the Council meeting of 7th July 1998, a motion was proposed by Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, and passed unanimously. It was then sent to AUT Belfast and the HQ of the AUT in London.

The new syllabus is an innovative and imaginative attempt to provide a ‘follow on’ of the Junior Certificate History syllabus and to combine the teaching of historical content with the development of historical skills, and to meet the educational needs of 16 -18 school pupils.

However for this syllabus to succeed in its stated aims much consideration must be given to the feasibility, practical implementation and assessment of such a syllabus on a national scale. There will be a need for new textbooks, library resources for individual pupil research studies, availability of historical documents, and teacher in service courses.

The construction of the syllabus provides a greater flexibility than previously for the able senior pupil and more scope for the excellent history teacher by allowing the study of topics in depth and by a welcome new emphasis on historical skills and personal research. Thus at Honours Level the syllabus will offer a better preparation for the student intending to study history at university level. However for the majority of senior pupils who take History as a Leaving Certificate subject at both Honours and Ordinary level, the very flexibility of the syllabus structure may allow for very little change to occur, and it may even narrow the amount of history which is studied in school. The choice of options offered (pp 10-11) make it possible for a teacher to select specific topics within Modern Europe 1900-1990 and Modern Ireland 1845-1992, and thus continue to teach the present Leaving Certificate course, the only change being the compulsory Documents paper. If the two earlier Fields of Study in European and Irish history are to become popular (and feasible) with schools then attention must be given to the provision of good senior school textbooks in the period as well as ready access to suitable documentary material.

The following short comments are offered under the headings suggested.

‘The nature of History’ is concerned with more than just ‘understanding change’. It could be said that history is concerned with enquiry and investigation of the past and with the value of heritage and tradition as well as ‘change’. The syllabus’ emphasis on the role of evidence in the study of history would seem to highlight this approach.

These are clearly stated, though in 2.1 should European/World history not be added to ’understanding of Irish history’ as is explored on p 4?

In order to make a more immediate impact the outline of the syllabus should come immediately on page 7 and the Glossary could be put either at the end of the section or at the end of the booklet for reference. The innovative part of the syllabus, namely Part III with the documents and research study, needs to made central in the presentation. The already noted flexibility of the framework which allows for greater choice within each field, may actually reduce the amount of history studied in the senior years. However it should increase the depth to which the selected topics are studied and allow for greater development of historical skills and use of primary sources. It will be possible for a pupil to study two quite disjointed topics within a field - e.g. Modern World Topic 1 - 1900-1919 and Topic 5 1945-1990 and this could be a disadvantage in obtaining an overall knowledge of a period. The compulsory documents-based topic probably will be a key influence on the choice of the second topic in the field as teachers may choose to either ‘lay the ground’ for or ‘follow-on’ from the designated biennial document topic.

In the area of the documents-based study it will be essential to provide for suitable documentary material (in pack form or booklet) for teachers and to offer in-service courses in use of this material with pupils if a simple comprehension approach is to be avoided. Key agencies such as the National Archives and the National Library should be alerted to the demand which will occur and should be consulted first on matter. Similarly the Local libraries and Education Centres could contribute.

In the area of the Research Study, it should be noted that this activity will put considerable pressure on senior level teachers who will have to have ready access to resource material and books. With a whole class rather than a selected able few pupils undertaking a personal research project, the organisation of this activity will be difficult for schools especially where the pupils have little or no access to books at home, and will have to rely on the school and public library. As with the documents study, the co-operation of agencies such as the Education Centres, Heritage Centres and Local Libraries will be essential if these personal studies are to be of an acceptable standard. Many pupils will probably undertake local studies because of interest and access, but it will be important to guard against a ‘bank’ of such projects building up in a few years.

The differentiation between Ordinary and Honours level is well presented and clear. Assessment criteria for the Portfolio will need to be explained very clearly as there will be a wide range of standard presented in the first years of the introduction the new syllabus. Also the type of paper set for the Document-based studies will be crucial in influencing the way in which the documents are used in the classroom.

Overall the syllabus is more prescriptive within each topic than previously, and one should ask if it is now not too prescriptive? While attempting to be more directive it should be considered that some teachers will follow ‘to the letter’ the listed topics and this may in fact put the syllabus content into a strait jacket. While the ‘Perspectives’ provide helpful guidelines on how to develop the ‘Key Concepts, the ‘Case- Studies’ could become very prescriptive e.g. Topic 3 p 35 ‘Ireland and the World War’ - every student could be studying ‘Ulster Day’ and the ‘Irish Women Workers’ Union’ and the ‘Plough and Stars’ etc.. Similarly the ‘Key Personalities’ while intended presumably to be a ‘guideline’, will in fact become compulsory. Some of the personalities are leading figures, others are more minor and ‘generic persons’ such as those listed on p 35 - ‘a war widow’ and ‘a member of the RIC’ will prove very difficult for pupils with a limited knowledge and experience, and could lead to ‘imaginative’ answers with little historical accuracy.

Overall the syllabus is an exciting and imaginative proposal which includes many of the current ideas on the teaching of history at second-level. Its success will depend on careful preplanning, the provision of suitable resources, and a willingness of the teachers to take ‘risks' and try different approaches to the teaching of senior school history. It would be advisable to ‘pilot’ the new programme in a number of selected schools and to consult with experienced teachers on the reality of implementing the courses given the limited resources both of time and written material available in schools. It will be important not to make Leaving Certificate history a ‘difficult’ subject for the schools to provide and thus reduce further the number of candidates taking the subject as part of their general education.

(Copies of the draft syllabus are available from NCCA.)

Susan M.Parkes, Senior Lecturer in Education, Trinity College, Dublin.                                               September 1998