INTO to vote on industrial action over eight-year ban on promotion

Sheila Nunan, INTO general secretary, branded the ban on career progression intolerable.

“In modern schools leadership must be shared,” she said.

“There is more administration and bureaucracy than ever. Meeting increased demand from parents, pupils and the department cannot be done without the necessary resources such as a leadership team of promoted teachers.”

Crisis mounts as promotion ban depletes in-school management https://t.co/SdfdffsrVi pic.twitter.com/2WOjCHwAgd

— INTO (Irish National Teachers' Organisation) (@INTOnews) November 5, 2015

The INTO claimed thousands of promotions have not been allowed in primary schools and careers have stagnated since the economic collapse in 2008.

Ms Nunan also said the ban was compromising the running of schools.

The union said it had noted plans by the department to ramp up the self-evaluation of teaching and learning in schools and to introduce self-evaluation of leadership and management.

Schools are to be surveyed by the union to assess the local and regional impact of the moratorium on promotion and the INTO said it will use the results in its campaign.

Previous research by the union showed significantly increased workload stress in primary teaching from demands by inspectors, increased paperwork and the promotion ban.

The INTO said the issues need to be responded to in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of teachers.

In a previous statement, the INTO said the ban "continues to have a serious impact on the ability of schools to function effectively.

"Currently, no special duties posts in schools may be filled and only a limited amount of assistant principal posts may be filled after meeting specific criteria."

The teachers' organisation is calling for an end to the eight-year ban on promotions, saying more leadership is needed in primary schools.

The INTO decided to ballot its 33,000-strong membership at a meeting of the union's executive over the weekend.