PAY ISSUES will top the agenda at the INTO's 131st annual congress in Galway this week. Once the Ministerial address has been made this morning and the general secretary responds, the first motion up for debate "demands an increase in salary for teachers to reflect the terms of recent settlements to other public service workers".

In its entirety, the motion - which is proposed by the union's central executive committee - states: "Congress, noting the pay difficulties of teachers and other public service groups who, in good faith, reached a settlement of PCW claims within inflexible, Government determined parameters which have subsequently been extended considerably by the Government in its more recent offers, demands an increase in salary for teachers to reflect the terms of recent settlements to other public service workers."

This is the first time in at least six years that a motion calling for more pay has been placed at the top of the list of motions, according to an INTO spokeswoman. "In terms of pay, the teachers concluded their deals on pay early, whereas the gardai and nurses waited and got a better outcome.

"It's one of the biggest areas that we have motions on this year."

Another motion which is high on the agenda and likely to elicit impassioned and cogent argument from delegates has to do with the publication by the Department of a revised code of behaviour and discipline. Part of the motion calls for legislation to give school authorities, including teachers, statutory rights in relation to the implementation and enforcement of the school's approved disciplinary procedures - including the right to insist, where necessary, on psychological assessment of pupils and access to support services. This arises, the spokeswoman says, from "cases that have come up recently where it was felt that schools have no authority to deal with severe cases. They don't have the right to force a child to be assessed."

Teachers will also discuss the revised curriculum and demand that "an agreed number of in-service days and school planning days be made available" to them to deal with all aspects of the curriculum during its implementation phase.

As part of the union's campaign to highlight staffing and funding problems, delegates will demand a range of improvements to help teachers cope with the increased administrative workloads in schools. In particular, they will look for more caretaking and secretarial support and paid substitution for at least one day per week for teaching principals for administrative purposes; they will also call for the point at which a teaching principal becomes an administrative one to be lowered to the fifth appointment.

This is likely to be "a lively debate", says one union pundit.

Another motion, reflecting some anger amongst teachers, instructs the union's executive to pursue a vigorous campaign, including industrial action, on the subject of capitation. The motion expresses deep disappointment at the meagre progress made in reducing the imbalance between primary and second-level capitation grants.

Union officials say the Minister, Micheal Martin, has "responded to a lot of the issues and we cannot be critical of any of the efforts". A spokeswoman adds, however, "there are still a lot of problems to resolve".

So in spite of all the improvements, initiatives and progress in education over the last year, the Galway fest is likely to have its own fair share of fireworks and sparks.