Alice Prendergast is the first woman president of the Teachers' Union of Ireland. Totally unfazed by this, she smiles and says it is something she only remembers when other people point it out to her.

This is perhaps unsurprising as she began her teaching career in Pearse College, Crumlin, Dublin, an all boys school, in the mid 1970s.

She used to take the boys to soccer matches and, in the absence of referees, a teacher from each school would referee half of the match.

"I didn't seem to be as acceptable," she says wryly. So, in pragmatic fashion, she answered a newspaper advertisement and did a course in refereeing. Prendergast was the first woman to qualify as a soccer referee in the State. She admits, that with her current commitments, her interest in soccer is now largely confined to the television screen.

From Pearse College, Prendergast moved to Bolton Street, to teach communications and personal development to budding engineering technicians and engineers. Yes, you've guessed - a predominantly male environment. But she has "never had any problem with it".

Her involvement with the TUI began early in her career, soon after she completed her BComm and H.Dip in UCD and began to teach in Pearse College. She was branch officer within six months of joining the union and held national office, as a member of the security fund committee, after a year.

Prendergast also served in the executive of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions for a year and was a member of the Council for the Status of Women. She is currently on the FAS board of directors and the NCVA executive committee.

Her two years as vice president of the TUI ended in July when she became president. "I am very happy at last to be doing one full time job," she says. Being a Dublin based vice president, she was constantly called upon to attend meetings over the past two years. "I was literally running to the Department of Education between classes," she recalls.

As to her agenda for the coming two years, Prendergast says that the PCW negotiations are obligatory and immediate. "I think that there is an element of good will on both sides but if it's not solved in this round (of negotiations) there is a danger of great industrial unrest."

Her other concerns include the critical impact of the demographic decline, particularly on the VEC schools. "There is no doubt that there will be a reduction in the number of VEC schools, but the Minister may have gone too far with 18," says Prendergast.

Another area of concern is the appointments system in the VECs. "In the past, there has been a perception that in some cases appointments were made with less than perfect motivation and to avoid this we would suggest a system similar to the community and comprehensive sector." But, she emphasises that a lot of VECs have been open and transparent in their appointments over the years.

At third level, she mentions the increasing casualisation, with up to' 40 per cent of teaching in some colleges being conducted by non permanent staff.

"It is not enough to just create new positions but the loyalty and dedication of long serving part timers must be recognised by some method of conversion to whole time posts."

Prendergast says that Post Leaving Certificate area is also of concern. "We demand that it be regarded as a real further education sector with maintenance grants available to students." Some students are choosing PLCs rather than RTCs or the DIT, she notes.

Many of the colleges are run on a totally third level basis and the quality of student life equals that of student life in any third level college.

Prospectively, she expects that the context of a general election next year will affect various education issues.

The legislation on the White Paper has been promised, but changes in government might mean changes in the that legislation, she says. It could also mean changes in the proposals to rationalise the VECs. "There is no doubt that coming in (to the presidency) in an election year will have an impact on negotiations on all issues," says Prendergast.

However, her long involvement in union politics will, no doubt, stand her in good stead when it comes to the negotiating table.

"However, I've served my apprenticeship for years on both local and national committees and I feel confident that the team of the executive and officials will further the cause of free, open, democratic and egalitarian structures in this country."