The ASTI has voted overwhelmingly to support non-co-operation with in-service training and new Department of Education programmes. But just over 20 per cent of its 17,000 members took part in the ballot.
In the ballot, members voted 80:20 to support a ban on co-operation with new courses, programmes and curricula. But the low turnout appears to reflect unease among the rank-and-file with their union after a troubled pay campaign.
The vote indicates a willingness by ASTI members to support low-key industrial action but, after last winter's strikes, there is little support for anything more militant.
The ban on in-service training and co-operation with new programmes will derail plans by the Department to introduce new Leaving Cert courses in biology and home economics. Plans for new Junior Cert programmes in religious education and in social, personal and health education (SPHE) may also have to be rescheduled.
Next month, ASTI members will, for the first time, get an opportunity to vote on the Government's £27-per-hour offer on supervision/ substitution. The offer is worth a total of about £1,000 per annum to teachers.
The ASTI has been criticised widely for its failure to allow members to vote on the issue. INTO members voted to accept the £27 per hour offer but it was rejected by the TUI.
Last month, over 70 per cent of ASTI members backed co-operation with the new benchmarking pay review body but the union's central executive committee has continued to oppose any plan to submit the ASTI Labour Court submission to the benchmarking body.
A €109 million plan to develop and upgrade information technology in schools has been unveiled by the Minister for Education, Dr Woods.
The new three-year plan, covering both primary and second-level schools, is designed to boost significantly all aspects of information and communication technology in schools.
The new plan will provide all schools with state of the art infrastructure and extensive training and support for teachers.