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WRAPPED IN SCARVES and hats as they paced the pavement of Stephen’s Green this morning, the staff of Loreto College were quick to point out that today’s strike wasn’t a ‘day off’ for either teachers or students.
“We would have given our students work to do today — which we will all have to correct tomorrow. So it’s not a holiday for us … it will actually cause more work,” Irish and French teacher Jill Cunningham told TheJournal.ie.
We won’t be slacking off.
You have to feel sorry for Loreto on the Green sometimes.
The school’s location, bang in the centre of Dublin, means it’s often the first port of call for reporters, whenever teachers go on strike.
At least one photographer called by during the short time we were down there this morning — and we wouldn’t be surprised if at least some of the faces featured here pop up on this evening’s TV bulletins.
Not everyone was keen to talk or have their photo appear. Others — well used to the attention, no doubt — were happy to speak out in defence of the day-long action.
“We know it’s disruptive but for over two years we have been bringing this issue to the attention of the Department of Eduction,” business teacher Jane Kelly said.
Its only when we took drastic action and took strike action that anyone has started to listen to what our concerns are.
There’s been criticism of the timing of today’s action from some parents’ and students’ groups. Ibec, meanwhile, has called on the Government not to row back on the planned reforms, and ISME — which represents small and medium businesses — even suggested teachers should be prevented legally from going on strike.
The Loreto teachers, however, were having none of it.
The move was “for the long term good of education,” Cunningham insisted.
It’s impossible to be objective when you’ve taught children for three years, and then be expected to mark their results. You cannot possibly look at an exam script and actually just leave what you know about the student to one side.
“The whole new junior cycle is very much actually in response to the likes of what Ibec are suggesting — so collaborative learning, [and] we’re putting maths and sciences to the forefront.
But actually, we’re not willing to put the holistic approach to education to the background.
As to whether their students — some of whom are facing into State exams in a matter of months — would be kept busy all day today with their assigned work.
“That’s up to them, really.”
Passing drivers issued the occasional beep of support for the teachers, as the small group marched up and down (and up and down) in near freezing conditions.
Of the school’s 50-odd teaching staff, the vast majority are taking part in today’s picket — apart from “a small handful” of non-union members, one staff member said.
In line with what’s happening at actions up and down the country, the women are organising their day into shifts — with everyone expected to spend at least a few hours clutching centrally-issued union placards, and dealing with overtures from passing members of the Fourth Estate.
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Customers???? What have IW to sell to anyone.
@Dave Doyle:
Delivery and maintenance of the water system
@Nick Allen: Maintenance of water infrastructure should always be a state’s own responsibility. No company should ever be allowed profit from this.
@Joe Phillips:
If a third party company could maintain the water system more cost effectively than the government while still making a profit would you object to that?
The problem with national assets is that they without question the Irish people / government needs to maintain ownership and the assets should never be allowed to be sold to the highest bidder. However, the government is not skilled and and has demonstrated superbly well that it cannot mange these assets correctly. We need to find a solution where we still own it but outsource the management to specialist professionals. For example, TransDev manager the LUAS and by and large deliver a good service while making a profit yet the state still owns the LUAS. We need this type of public / private partnership which is a genuine partnership and not just a cover to sell of the assets or allow a private organisation to try an maximise profit from it.
@Nick Allen: ‘Delivery and maintenance of the water system’ IS and WAS already paid for.
Anything extra should be taken the same way or that should also be refunded.
We are sick and tired for paying twice and three times for everything with still the underlying issues being left unfixed.
@eastsmer:
You need to move on from that idea. There is a finite pot of money to pay for our services to be delivered and we need to pay more into the pot. It doesn’t matter what u think u have paid for nor what you have paid for we still need money to pay for our water system.
@Nick Allen: = Neo liberal lemon
@Nick Allen: IW are no more than a glorified billing company. They do nothing to maintain a system or deliver one drop of water to anyone.
This “customer” stupidity is no more than a euphemism used in an attempt to change who people think about IW.
The DSP are trying the same stupidity on people.
@Nick Allen:
Except Irish Water has already cost the taxpayer billions and has provided absolutely nothing in return.
@Nick Allen:
Yes we need to pay for our water system
But Irish Water needs to be closed.
It is a billing company set up to privatise a natural resource,.
It has absolutely no legitimacy and not a penny should ever be paid to it.
@eastsmer: The issues are very fixed now. The Water Services Bill 2017 has seen to that.
Water will be privatised. It will go the way of the ESB.
We have been royally shafted by FG/FF.
The bill was disguised as a means to pay the “refund”.
The detail, which has been kept very quite, has laid the ground for privatisation.
@Colin Morris:
Where did I say or suggest that IW was the right organisation to deliver this?
@Setrakian:
Do you know what an internet troll is? How is my comment trolling? It is simply expressing my view which is directly related to the article and the comments I replied to.
Its funny how people resort to name calling and factual inaccuracies when they don’t know enough about the subject matter nor have the ability to debate it on its merits. And it is you who offers me sympathy, thanks for that but I do feel guilty as it is you who is more deserving of sympathy
@Colin Morris: Wicklow County Council take care of the maintenance of the water system here as they always did. Only now it’s under contract to Irish Water. Every other city and county council must be the same. The only difference is there is now a third party call centre you call and they in turn call the council…… How this is more cost effective to pay over a billion euro to set up a quango to collect cash is beyond me.
@Nick Allen: you are on the journal throughout the day – every day fully supporting everything your rotten government is responsible for including the Irish Water scam. Apologies for the late reply – I’ve been busy working. You are a troll & going by most comments in response to your ignorant posts – a complete numpty. Hope that clarifies for you Nicky.
@Nick: You are flogging a dead rat mate, it’s already paid for.
They sent the bills to the correct address I’m sure they can send the refund cheque to it too
@Michelle_Herbert:
You are making the assumption that nobody has changed their address since they initially provide it to IW. Do you really think this is likely?
@Nick Allen: I bet you paid them extra.
@Justin Barrett:
Why? because I highlighted that some people have changed address over the last couple of years. Interesting logic there.Ah, well, if I did pay extra then no doubt I will get an even bigger refund, I wonder what I will treat myself to this xmas with the new found windfall.
@Michelle_Herbert: I got my cheque on Monday. It’s only if your address changes that you need to inform IW.
@Michelle_Herbert: they need to refund back through the same channels that payment was made. In general if people pay electronically, then their refund should return to their account, electronically.
People with no bank accounts cannot cash these cheques. Those people paid in cash in post offices. They should get refunded by the same method.
@Father Hody Commody:
They only need to refund back to the original payment method if the original payment method was a card payment
@Michelle_Herbert: There is also a percentage of us that had no choice and had to pay IW or the sale of our house could not be completed (the government made it law in January 2016) obviously we are no longer at that address so IW has to be informed.
@Father Hody Commody: you’re an idiot. Not true dumb fcuk
Irish Water? Never heard of it.
And once this money has been repaid I assume that Irish Water will be closed in its entirety and all its staff made redundant.
it is a truly toxic company that served no other purpose than as a billing company set up to privatise a natural resource.
Irish people (who already pay for water through taxation) need to pay for water – but not a penny must EVER be paid to Irish Water.
By the way any correspondence from Irish Water must be automatically binned.
@Colin Morris: The issuing of cheques to people that paid cash enables this ‘company’ to obtain bank account details where the cheques are lodged. That’s why they issue cheques.
@Father Hody Commody: They only need your address. No one needs bank account details to issue a cheque.
@Father Hody Commody: Its actually the other way around. To issue by cheque you do not need the bank account details, to do an electronic funds transfer then you do need the account details.
As a matter of interest, in your conspiracy theory what it the benefit to Irish water to have your bank account details? Unless you give them explicit permission to withdraw funds then they cannot do so.
@Father Hody Commody: you haven’t a clue. Back to junior infants with ya
Geez and here,s me thinking a customer is someone who willingly does business with someone else.
@Derek Poutch: Exactly. They had no business acquiring our details to begin with.
Is this the real Irish water or that fake one, sounds like those scams.
I recently moved house and phoned IW to change my details. They were unbelievably unhelpful demanding crazy information and making it as hard as possible to change my details. I sensed it was a deliberate attempt to not refund me
Be very careful of phishing.
The chancers tried to get my PPS number.
I’m sure they’d have their details if they were supposed to pay and hadn’t.
Would have made a nice Christmas bonus..had I been a big enough mug to pay in the first place.
Hearing a lot of spin about this, yet as someone who paid charge and has a water meter at my gate i haven’t heard a peep out of IW. Are they doing anything other than issuing press releases i wonder????
@eimsley:
You can go onto their website and enter your account number and WPRN number and it will tell you the size of your refund and the date they expect to post it to you
@Nick Allen: think he means if they have done any actual infrastructure maintenance that isn’t just reactionary and more preventative. Bugger all in 3-4 Years I think at the cost of billions.
They would know where you live if they were after money .
No and they never will.
Happy to say I got my cheque in the post and bought 4 Superdraw tickets with it
Got my cheque this week, donating one third each to FG, the parish church and to the pro life campaign. :)
They have mine even though I never gave it to them. They still haven’t responded to my query as to where they got my details.
People 1 irish water 0
Some other right here
I paid with Post Office how do i get my refund
have your say