Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland

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ASTI
Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland logo.gif
Full name Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland
Founded 1909
Members 18,000
Affiliation ICTU, EI,
European Trade Union Committee for Education[1]
Office location Dublin, Ireland
Country Ireland
Website Official website

The Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) is a trade union for secondary school teachers in Ireland.[2] It is a member of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The union represents 18,000 teachers schools throughout Ireland attended by 80% of all second-level students.[3]

Purpose

The ASTI represents teachers on educational issues and working conditions. The objects and aims of the ASTI are:[3]

  • to promote second-level education
  • to unite and organise all second-level teachers
  • to promote and protect teachers' interests
  • to maintain and improve teachers' conditions of employment

The ASTI will act as a professional advocate for second level teachers, offers legal protection to its members, campaigns for improved working conditions and ensures continuing professional development for teachers providing research facility for teachers where necessary. The association will also provide a team of experienced industrial relations negotiators to assist teachers facing difficulties at school. The ASTI set up a Credit Union in 1984.

History

The ASTI began life on St. Patrick’s Day 1909 in Cork at a meeting called by teachers of St. Colman's College, Fermoy. There had been an Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) since 1868 and they had been successful in gaining better working conditions and pay for their members. At the time conditions for secondary teachers were very poor with men earning about £80 a year and women a little over half that. One of the aims of the association was to raise the status of teachers in the community.[4]

The main force behind the formation of the union was Patrick Kennedy, born in Cloughjordan, an inspirational teacher in St Colman's. Founding members included such national figures as Easter Rising leader Thomas MacDonagh, whose godfather was Kennedy's father and who was a close friend; and the future Taoiseach and President of Ireland Eamon de Valera.

In 1911 the decision was taken to establish a women’s section within the ASTI, which was named the Women Teachers' Association (WTA). The role and social acceptance of women teachers changed dramatically from a place where women secondary teachers had to retire on marriage to a place where women became president of the union.

The history of the union is documented in the book Unlikely Radicals.[5] The organisation struggled with the development of education, the role of the church and the changes in state which occurred while trying to reach out to educate as much of the population as possible.

General Secretary

The General Secretary represents the interests of the members of the union on topics such as their salary, conditions of employment and education at a national and international level. The General Secretary manages the daily business of the ASTI and ensures that ASTI policy is appropriately carried out. This post is not elected annually but rather is appointed as a full-time position.

Kieran Mulvey was the General secretary of the ASTI from 1980 until he was replaced by Charlie Lennon in 1991.[6] On Mr. Lennon's retirement in 2004 John White became acting General Secretary of the ASTI and was appointed in 2005.[7] Pat King replaced Mr. White in September 2010. Kieran Christie is currently the General Secretary of the ASTI as of 1 January 2016[8]

President

The president of the union is elected at the annual convention and takes office on 1 August of that year. Unlike the General Secretary the President is always a teacher and takes a leave of absence from their teaching role for the duration of their term.[9]

Year President Year President Year President Year President
1909 W. S. Cooney 1910 P. J. Kennedy 1911 P. J. Kennedy 1912 W. Johnston
1913 G. A. Watson 1914 G. A. Watson 1915 G. A. Watson 1916 G. A. Watson
1917 W. J. Williams 1918 G. A. Watson 1919 T. J. Burke 1920 L. Murray
1921 B. Gillespie 1922 B. Gillespie 1923 M. Kinsella/A. Ruttledge 1924 J. H. Kane
1925 T. P. Waller 1926 A. J. Mulligan 1927 J. J. Murphy 1928 G. P. Duggan
1929 J. H. Kane 1930 T. O’Beirne 1931 T. O’Beirne 1932 T. O’Donoghue
1933 C. L. Dillon 1934 G. P. Daly 1935 J. H. Kane 1936 J. H. Kane
1937 F. Kennedy 1938 T. P. Waller 1939 T. P. Waller 1940 T. J. Boylan
1941 T. J. Boylan 1942 T. O’Donoghue 1943 C. L. Dillon 1944 C. L. Dillon
1945 T. Walsh 1946 D. Buckley 1947 O. P. Ward 1948 O. P. Ward
1949 W.G. Kirkpatrick 1950 S. Ó Mathúna 1951 D. Ó Conalláin 1952 T. C. Coppinger
1953 W. Meyler 1954 P. J. O’Reilly 1955 G. Ó Maoilmhichil 1956 P. J. Hardiman
1957 L. Comerford 1958 N. Kelleher 1959 C. L. Dillon, J. Wilson 1960 T. Murphy
1961 P. S. Gillman 1962 G. Lyons 1963 D. Ó Mhurchú 1964 P. Finnegan
1965 D. Buckley 1966 J. A. Brommell 1967 J. A. Brommell 1968 H. Duffy
1969 M. Sheedy 1970 T. O’Dea 1971 P. Ó Riordáin 1972 K. Meehan
1973 P. Purcell 1974 L. Hogan 1975 J. A. "Alfie" Sheehy 1976 M. MacCormack
1977 D. Nolan 1978 D. Nolan 1979 M. MacCarthy 1980 D. Barry
1981 T. Boland 1982 M. Walsh 1983 R. Kennedy 1984 H. Collins
1985 L. O’Flaherty 1986 J. White 1987 D. Quish 1988 K. O’Sullivan
1989 E. O’Allmhurain 1990 J. Costello 1991 W. Ruane 1992 J. Whyte
1993 M. Dowling Maher 1994 S. Higgins 1995 T. Francis 1996 J. Mulcahy
1997 J. Hurley 1998 M. Corely 1999 B. O’Sullivan 2000 D. McCluskey
2001 C. Fitzpatrick 2002 P. J. Sheehy 2003 P. Cahill 2004 S. Hall
2005 S. Parsons 2006 M. Freeley 2007 P. Wroe 2008 P. Hurley
2009 J. Moran 2010 J. Keane 2011 B. Broderick 2012 G. Breslin
2013 S. Maguire 2014 P. Irwin 2015 M. G. Ní Chiarba 2016

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ About ASTI
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 100 year newsletter

External links

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