welcome to into indepth feature on special education visit ... · visit to west bank, palestine ......

January 2020

Welcome to INTOPages 6 & 7

Indepth feature on Special EducationPages 9, 10, 11 & 12

Visit to West Bank, Palestine Pages 13 & 14

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Nuacht CMÉ

Another year ends with no resolution toour ongoing dispute with the employingauthorities and the Department ofEducation. This despite an agreement inprinciple having been reached amongstthe negotiation teams inMay of 2019.

As things stand all sidesare awaiting a responsefrom the Department ofFinance to the businesscase, submitted by theDepartment of Education,to fund an agreementshould you the membersvote to accept the deal.The Department ofFinance has been inpossession of thisbusiness case for 6months now and INTOand our colleagues acrossthe teaching unions areincreasingly frustratedthat what we have allworked hard to achieve on your behalfsince February 2018 is going to be lost.

The teacher unions, led by INTO, remaindetermined to see teachers begin thelong journey of pay restoration while atthe same time having the unreasonableadditional workload that has beendumped on them over the last decaderemoved. Should the Department ofFinance approve the related business casethey have been sitting on for the last 6months, then members will have theopportunity to give their verdict onwhether the proposed deal takes us part

way along this journey.INTO continues to work towards a

successful conclusion with progress beingmade to produce materials to ease theintroduction of changes to working

practices that would flowshould a deal come to pass.There is also ongoing workto further review policiesand working practices toensure they are populatedwith and resourced toinclude teacher unionvoices. This is a reasonableapproach and ademonstration, on the partof the unions, of good faith.

Should the Departmentof Finance fail to approvethe agreement in principlereached in May then thehard-won good faith andtrust goes out the window.The carefully restoredrelationships between the

employers, the Department and theunions will be undone, making aresolution in the short to medium termeven more difficult. The trade unions willbe left with no choice but to re-evaluatetheir action and in all likelihood escalateit. This is something INTO and the otherunions have worked very hard to avoidbut should it be necessary, it is notsomething we will shy away from. The useof “we” here is deliberate, for the NITC hasagreed that should further action provenecessary then all five teacher unions willact in concert, something which has not

happened outside of the context of acentralised ICTU action in my teacherunion experience.

The industrial relations climate acrossthe public services has deterioratedsignificantly since we reached anagreement in principle in May past. Othertrade union colleagues including UNISON,NIPSA, GMB, UNITE, UCU and others arenow engaged in disputes across theHealth Sector, the Higher EducationSector and the Civil Service and weextend our solidarity and support to themas they pursue legitimate claims inrespect to pay, pensions, changes to theirworking conditions and inadequatestaffing levels. This crisis is a direct resultof a decade of Tory imposed cuts and canbe no surprise to anyone as trade unionsand citizens have been flagging this trainwreck for several years now.

Continuing to subject hard-workingpublic servants to pay freezes and wagesettlements below inflation whiledemanding even more work from them isthe road to perdition. Teachers have hadenough. INTO and the other teacherunions have had enough. If teachers arenot made an offer in line with theagreement in principle reached last Maythen the children and young people, theirparents and society as a whole will wantto know who is to blame. The teacherunions on behalf of the profession will notbe behind the door in laying the blame atthe feet of the guilty and any additionalaction will focus on encouraging them toreconsider what is beginning to look likevery poor decision making.

Another year ends with no resolution

NORTHERN COMMITTEE INFORMATION

Area Branches Mobile INTO Email CEC 1 District 1 0101-0113 Seamus Hanna CEC Rep [email protected] 2 District 2 0201-0217 Dorothy McGinley CEC Rep 07818424080 [email protected] - Patrick McAllister BFC Rep 07828769034 [email protected] North Eastern Primary Region 0101/0102/0104/0107/0109/0111 Michelle McCrystal INTO N Ctte 07851460682 [email protected] North Eastern Post-Primary Region 0101/0102/0104/0107/0109/0111 Siobhan McElhinney INTO N Ctte 07915091871 [email protected] South Eastern Primary Region 0110/0113 Rachel O'Hare INTO N Ctte 07743427483 [email protected] South Eastern Post-Primary Region 0110/0113 John Kelly INTO N Ctte 07809694954 [email protected] Belfast Region Primary A 0106 Caroline McCarthy INTO N Ctte 07977935988 [email protected] Belfast Region Primary B 0105 Geraldine McGowan INTO N Ctte 07717277565 [email protected] Belfast Region Post-Primary 0105/0106 Caoimhin MacColaim INTO N Ctte 07710234126 [email protected] Southern Region Primary A 0202/0206/0208/0217 Marty Lavery INTO N Ctte 07733207887 [email protected] Southern Region Primary B 0201/0203/0211/0214 Noreen Kelly INTO N Ctte 07846392235 [email protected] Southern Region Post-Primary 0201/0202/0203/0206/0208/0211/0214/0217 Kevin Daly INTO N Ctte 07568528951 [email protected] WP Western Region Primary A 0209/0213/0215/0216 Marie O'Shea INTO N Ctte 07802891109 [email protected] Western Region Primary B 0207/0212 Moira O'Kane INTO N Ctte 07522937888 [email protected] Western Region Post-Primary 0207/0209/0212/0213/0215/0216 Annmarie Conway INTO N Ctte 07701049789 [email protected]

Gerry Murphy,Northern Secretary


INTO news

During my first few months in the Chair ofNorthern Committee I have spoken withhundreds of our members across thenorth either on the phone or in person.These conversations and meetings havetaken place in a variety of contexts andhave very much brought home to me therange and commonality of issues facingteachers from Dundrum to Derry, Rosleato Rasharkin and everywhere in between.There is not a school in the north thatdoes not face significant challenges andas a result every single one of ourmembers, from newly qualified teacher tolong standing Principal, find obstaclesand additional stresses and strains intrying to do what they trained to do –educate children and young people.

In the face of these challenges the roleof the union is crucial and one reallypressing issue for INTO is that we still havesome staffrooms without an INTOworkplace representative. This is hugelydetrimental to members in those schools.I am constantly reminding people that‘the union’ is not something that exists inan office in Belfast or Dublin and is notsomething that you ‘bring in’ when timesare hard, on the contrary, ‘The Union’ isevery single one of us and we all have arole to play in it. Those of us in electedpositions and those employed as Officialswill inevitably be seen as the face of theunion or heard as the voice of INTO, butour effectiveness is increased where wehave well organised and unionisedworkplaces.

A unionised workplace begins withstaff being members of unions and

working under union recognitionagreements as we do in the schoolsystem here. But that is a very limitedform of ‘unionisation’. Unionisedworkplaces that really deliver for workershave, in the very firstinstance, elected reps whowork on site. INTO reps areabsolutely key to us beingable to ensure that wehave two waycommunication betweenmembers and electedofficers and officials; theyare key to articulatingINTO’s position on variousissues and also in shapingand influencing thosepositions; reps ensure thatindustrial actioninstructions arecommunicated tomembers where it countsand that such action iscarried out in a disciplinedand consistent fashion;reps in well unionisedworkplaces will also be in regular contactwith members and their NorthernCommittee reps and local Branches.

As a Union we must keep striving toimprove our organisational efforts in theworkplace. American Trade Union ActivistJane McAleavey wrote in her book, NoShortcuts – Organising for Power in theGuilded Age, that Union representativesshould, among other things: ‘Get close tothe workers, stay close to the workers’;‘Don't do for workers what they can do’;

‘The union is not a fee for service, it is thecollective experience of workers instruggle’; ‘Workers are made of clay, notglass’; ‘Don't underestimate the workers’.

In other words, the strength of anyeffective trade union isbased on the organisationand activism of itsmembers, not simply onthe expertise and abilitiesof its leaders – althoughthat is important.

Trade Union Organisingamong the grass rootsmembership is not someabstract concept but avery real requirement inensuring that our currentphase of industrial actionand any future action hasthe necessary impact onour employers. On thatnote I would like toextend a huge thank youto our school reps andBranch Officers. We arewell organised in most

areas but we must build on that.For my part, as Chair of Northern

Committee, I will be making renewedefforts to visit schools in the new yearand I will do my utmost to take up anyinvitation received to this end. I amconfident that my colleagues onNorthern Committee will be similarlycommitted to engagement withmembers in their areas with a view toever improved and effective unionisationof our schools.

Organising th e Union Starts inthe Staffroom

Kevin Daly,Northern Committee

Chairperson

Newry Branch PresentationsLeft: Gerry McBrien became an INTOHonorary member of Newry Branch. Heis pictured being presented with anINTO long service pin by Newry BranchChairperson Elayna Duffy.

Right: Órla Murphy, St Mary’s PS,Mullaghbawn, Elayna Duffy (Newry

Branch Chairperson) and Declan ColganSt Colman’s PS, Kilkeel . Elayna is

presenting prizes to Orla and Declanfrom the Newry Branch member’s draw.

RedeploymentTo become a teacher, students must firstgo through the rigors of study for ateacher qualification, then thepreparation of a cv, going aroundschools selling themselves to principals,joining the NISTR register, awaitingemails eventually being successful at aninterview process, and being madepermanent in a school.

When I received my first permanentpost in England, there was anunderstanding that you would remain inthe post for four or five years, and thenyou would look round for potentialpromotions on teacher allowances, andmove to another school. This is not thenormal experience for teachers in thenorth of Ireland.

For many teachers, the first schoolwhere you receive a permanentappointment is the only school that youwill ever teach in. Excellent teachers whowish to remain in the classroom and haveno wish to go into school managementhave very limited opportunity toexperience life in other schools.

Teachers in the republic of Irelandhave the opportunity for ‘TemporaryReassignment’, which is an arrangement

between two teachers and twoparticipating schools. This opportunityis normally for educational purposeswhich includes enabling teachersto enhance theirprofessional experienceby teaching in differenttypes of settings, and theknowledge gained bysuch a reassignmentcould be shared withcolleagues.

For many teachers, it isalso an opportunity tomove closer to home, tomake journey timeeasier, and to allow themto be less stressed andtherefore more effectivein the classroom.

At present, such ascheme is not available toteachers here. TheCouncil for Catholic Maintained Schools(CCMS) has twice this year, sent letters toprincipals inviting opportunities forredeployment from particular schools.While this tentative step is to bewelcomed, it would be important that an

agreed scheme would be developed forteachers across all sectors, through thenormal negotiating machinery of theTNC and JWP.

This would facilitateteachers who have spenta long time in oneschool or sector, havingthe opportunity toexplore other careeroptions within teaching,without having to take acareer break.

It would also provide,in cases where there areongoing industrialrelations issues inschools, it may giveopportunities ofmovement for teacherswhere they feel it isdemonstratively betterfor them to be

redeployed to a suitable school. It may also allow for the temporary re-

assignment of teachers across the islandof Ireland, which, as the only all-Irelandteachers union, would be something wewould welcome.


Nuacht CMÉ

A recent sex discrimination case incounty Down, settled for £5000, hashopefully reinforced INTO’s criticismand highlighted the dangers of schoolmanagements overlooking their part-time teachers. Upon returning frommaternity a teacher applied for and wasgranted a flexible working arrangementwhich reduced her days from five tothree. She felt at the time that the schoolwas very accommodating to her bysupporting her domestic childcareresponsibilities. However, when acolleague was appointed as temporaryHead of English, she realised that shehad not been considered for the postbecause she was working part-time.While she fully understood that toproperly fulfil the role of Head of Englishthere may have been the expectation bythe school management that she wouldhave to return to working the full-timefive day week, but that this was herdecision and she should have been given

the opportunity to explore this option.She believed that this was anopportunity for career enhancementwhich was denied to her.

In settling the case theschool fully recognisedthat they had denied theteacher the opportunityto apply or even beconsidered for theposition and thereforedisadvantaged her as apart-time employee. eBoard of Governorsregretted both theirdecision and the upset itcaused to the teacherand have put steps inplace to ensure that theywould receiveappropriate training inrecruitment andselection with specificfocus on reduced hours

and part-time teachers.While the figures for female

teachers in Northern Ireland vary, theEquality Commission for Northern

Ireland have reportedthat 39% of femaleemployees work part-time compared to 9% ofmale employees and82% of all part-timeemployees in NorthernIreland are women. Inlight of this then anyaction taken by anemployer which ignoresor excludes part-timeemployees from apromoted post oralternative position islikely to lead to a moreadverse effect on womenemployees and thereforemay amount to indirectsex discrimination.

Part-time teachers do have rights!

Tommy McGlone,Senior Official

Mark McTaggart,Assistant Northern Secretary


INTO news

At a teacher conference in Englandrecently a former government advisercriticised teachers who asked to go part-time after taking on full-time roles. Heeven went so far as to suggest that it was,“wrong and immoral,” for teachers to askfor their hours to be reduced after takingon full-time jobs.

It is a stark indicator of how far we stillhave to go to ensure that all schoolleaders, and those in positions ofinfluence, accept, support andappreciate part-time teachers. Obviouslysocial media platforms were critical ofthe adviser’s seemingly archaicstandpoint and offered many and variedreasons why teachers rely on part-timeworking.

What is wrong and immoral is thatteachers are expected to absorb workinto their personal lives and that it hasbecome customary for teachers to spendevenings and weekends completingprofessional tasks as unpaid overtime.

The decision to request part-timeworking often stems from lifestyle factorsthat make full-time work unfeasible. Forexample, needing to care for a youngfamily or elderly relative or managehealth challenges. There are also anincreasing number of teachers whodeliberately opt to work part-time tomanage other ventures or interests. Thisreflects a diverse workforce with a rangeof personal circumstances.

Teaching is undeniably an exhaustingand demanding profession. The fact ofthe matter is that the vast majority of

teachers work well beyond theircontractual hours in order to satisfy theneeds of the job.

Many part-time teachers are known touse their days off to complete school workto be able to spend time at weekends withfriends and family or engage in non-workactivities. In essence, they are being paidpart-time to work full-timehours.

The former governmentadviser also said, “I don’tthink we should separatelife and work as if you goto work to have a life,because you are nevergoing to have thatbalance. Some peoplehave too much work,some people have toomuch life.” Now I don’tknow about you but mostpeople I know go to workto pay the bills and saveup so they can have a life.As far as I can work out weonly have the one life andnobody would want tospend it all working.

The belief in an inability to evenattempt to have a work/life balance,inherently discriminates against teachersthat attempt to have a family and/or asatisfying personal life. It is a sadreflection of the teaching profession if it isimpossible to achieve this. For many,part-time working is the tool thatsupports with juggling professional and

personal responsibilities.Surely school cultures that are more

accepting and supportive of flexibleworking practices help to retain teachersin the profession. Making work seempossible for people at crunch points intheir lives demonstrates compassion andcare for staff. They, in turn, are more

likely to remain loyal toan organisation wherethey feel this is the case.

Yes, making flexibleworking work can bechallenging. Yes, it ismore straightforward totimetable with full-timeteachers. Yes, parents,students and colleaguesmight prefer full-timearrangements forcontinuity purposes.However, the benefits ofrecruiting and retaininghigh-calibre andcommitted part-timestaff far outweigh thedrawbacks.

Amid a recruitment andretention crisis, schools cannot afford todiscount teachers on the basis of theirinability to commit to full-timeemployment.

Flexible working empowers teacherswho are thinking of their children orparents and need to achieve some kind ofwork/life balance. For further informationon flexible working schemes for teachersvisit the INTO website.

Paul Groogan,Trade Union Official

Flexible Working Empowers Teachers

Joint Leadership Conferenceursday 30th January 2020

GLENAVON HOUSE HOTEL, COOKSTOWN

Please note: ese conferences are extremely popular so book our place early to avoid disappointment.To apply: Please register your interest by emailing: [email protected] with your name, TRN, school and mobile number

indicating whether you will be staying for lunch by 4.00pm on Friday 24 January.

Time Description9.55am – 10.00am Welcome

G White – NI President, NEU10.00am – 10.30am Update on Pay Dispute/Industrial Action/

QuestionsG Murphy, Northern Secretary, INTOM Langhammer, Regional Sec. NEUJ White, General Secretary, UTU

10.30am – 10.50am Special Education: UpdateR Irwin – EA Director of Wellbeing and Inclusion

Time Description10.50am – 11.10am Special Education: Update

S Lawler – EA Head of Special Education andInclusion

11.10am – 11.20am Break11,20am - 12.00pm Implications of the DDA for School Leaders

C Trainor, Equality Commission. N ireland12.00am – 12.30pm S Fitzsimons – Disability Action

Close S ompson, President, UTULunch


Nuacht CMÉ

Paul Donnelly is the receptionist inINTO Northern Office and all calls tothe office go through reception so thefirst contact you will have with INTOwill probably be with Paul.

Phone-callWhen you ring the Northern Office ournew database will recognise yournumber, if you are a member and thenumber you are ringing from is on yourmember record. If your number isrecognised the system will bring up yourmember record on screen and Paul willthen verify your membership and checkyour contact details are correct.

Paul will ask you what your call isabout, please remember that Paul will be

transferring your call to an Official, orgetting someone to call you back, so thedetails you give at this stage should bebrief, just enough to let the Officialknow that your call is in relation tomaternity, sick leave, promotions,industrial action, etc.

Paul will then either, put you straightthrough to an Official or log your callon the system and assign it to theOfficial on the query rota at that time.Your call can also be logged to aparticular Official if they have alreadybeen dealing with your issue and Paulwill be able to see who that is from hisscreen at reception.

Email If you email INTO at [email protected] email will be received by Paul atreception. If you have not included yourTR number or school name, Paul willemail you back, normally, to verifyyour membership and perhaps checkyour contact details. Once yourmembership has been verified youremail will be recorded on the systemand assigned to the official on the queryrota at that time.

NEW email facility INTO is currently working on a newemail facility which will enablemembers to send emails to INTO,from the members’ portal of thewebsite. Member’s using this emailfunctionality will be able to categorisethe issue you are emailing about andyour email will automatically appear inthe pending query list for assigning byPaul to the appropriate Official. (screenshot A).

To use this facility you must first registeron the INTO website, creating a loginand password, which you will requireeverytime you wish to access themembers’ portal.

Once you have logged in you can:1. Check and update your member

record, your name, address, school,contact phone numbers and email(screen shot B: My INTO page).

2. Register for INTO courses and events(see screen shots C and D onfollowing page).

Welcome to INTOMeet Paul Donnelly

B. My INTO page

A. INTO login screen

3. Update your preferences forcommunication from INTO (seescreenshot E: Preferences)

4. Access all the INTO information andservices in the members’ portal (seescreenshot F: Information Area)

Any member having difficultyregistering, or resetting their passwordshould contact INTO Northern Officeon 02890381455 or by email [email protected]

Pre-registration emailIf we do not have a current email addressfor you on our system, you will not havereceived a pre-registration email toaccess the new website/members’ portal.If you have not received a pre-registration email you will need tocontact Paul at reception in NorthernOffice to give us your email address andthen you will be sent a link for registeringon the INTO website/members’ portal.

We look forward to welcoming youinto the INTO website/members’ portalvery soon!


INTO news

D. Seminars and Workshops

C. INTO Events

E. Preferences

F. Information Area

NOrTHErN CONfErENCE 2020 will take placeon Friday 6 – Saturday 7 March 2020 in e Canal Court Hotel, Newry


Nuacht CMÉ

On the 16th December 2019, INTO andTyrone Central Branch in particular losta true friend with the passing of MonaKelly. Before she retired Mona was VicePrincipal of St Teresa’s Primary Schoolin Loughmacrory and Secretary ofTyrone Central Branch of INTO. Whileteaching and seeing the advancement ofher pupils was her main focus, Monawas also interested in the well-being ofteachers. She joined the INTO shortlyafter leaving college, became schoolrepresentative and eventually BranchSecretary for Tyrone Central. Monadevoted a lot of time and effort to theBranch and its members. She maderecruitment her mission and she nevermissed an opportunity to talk to newlyqualified teachers to expound thebenefits of being an INTO member. Herbranch meetings might have been alittle unconventional but you wereassured of getting up to dateinformation and guidance coupled witha good mixture of craic.

Mona loved the INTO and she saidshe found it a life line after the suddenpassing of her husband Barney in 1994,leaving her with four sons. She adoredthem and they adored her.

Mona was an educator, acommunicator an advocate and a home

maker. Back in the day when some of uscould barely switch on the computerMona was delivering twilight courses inIT. Mona always enjoyed company. Sheloved meeting people and sustainedlifelong friendships. She was blessedwith an excellent memory for namesand dates which enabled her to workout a family tree without the help ofAncestry .com! She enjoyed amateurdrama and in particular the annual Mid-Ulster Drama Festival which sheattended regularly over many years. Shewas also known to tread the boards on afew occasions herself. She will bemissed by the staff and pupils of DeanBrian Maguirc College where she servedas a Governor for twenty five years and

indeed attended the Annual Prize givingonly recently. e farming communityalso benefited from her knowledge andexperience when she served asSecretary of NIAPA (Northern IrelandAgricultural Producers Association)

Since retirement she became skilledin needle craft, tried her hand atcreative writing and had a great interestin local history.

Regardless of everything else, theachievements and interests, familyalways came first. Mona accommodatedrelatives from far and wide. ere wasalways a welcome at Mullanmore Road.Her heart was filled with pride everytime she mentioned her beloved boysand their families. Her only regret, if shehad any, after a life well lived might bethat she didn’t have more time to spendwith her grandchildren.

To Mona’s boys and her entire family,we offer our deepest sympathy. Life is adiary of memories, Mona featured onmany pages.

Good Bye our dear friend andcolleague. Rest in Peace.

Submitted by Rita Fox, Former NorthernCommittee ChairpersonLeft: Mona Kelly receiving her INTO long service pinfrom the then INTO President Anne Fay

Mona Kelly 1949 – 2019Former Tyrone Central Branch Secretary

Colm Lambe was an INTO stalwart whogave tirelessly of his time for INTOmembers in the greater Belfast area andbeyond for many years. A Graduate of StMary’s (Training) College, Belfast, hetaught for over 40 years. The vastmajority of his teaching career was inNorth Belfast, spanning the decades ofthe troubles, during which he encouragedand supported the pupils and teacher inhis schools. Colm was Vice-Principal in StPatrick’s PS Belfast, was principal of HolyFamily Boys’ PS and retired as vice-principal of the amalgamated HolyFamily PS, on the Limestone Road.

Throughout his teaching career he wasan INTO member and trade union activistin Belfast Branch. He was elected to, andrepresented the primary teachers in theBELB area on, INTO Northern Committee

for a significant period of time. As amember and chairman of NorthernCommittee he fought forteachers’ rights throughoutmany changes in Education,including the JordanstownAgreement, the introductionof the new Northern IrelandCurriculum, and IT in schools.A passionate educationalist healso represented District Oneon the INTO NationalEducation Committee, aposition he particularly he enjoyed.

Following his retirement in 2000 Colm’sinvolvement with INTO didn’t stop. Hecontinued for a number of years toprovide support and advice to INTOmembers by volunteering in NorthernOffice answering members’ calls and

helping out at recruitment events. A keentraveller, Colm and his wife, Maureen,

went on a number of cruisesand foreign holidays with closefriends he had met throughINTO Northern Committee. Inretirement he particularlyenjoyed taking holidays inSeptember when the schoolshad restarted, because hecould!

First and foremost Colm wasa husband, father and grand-

father. He passed away on 16 October2019 and is sadly missed by his family,colleagues in Holy family and friends inINTO. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Submitted by Nuala O’Donnell, INTO SeniorOfficial

Colm Lambe 1936 – 2019Former Chairperson of Northern Committee


SPECIAL EDUCATION

In recent years we have seen changes inSEN provision, many of which have raisedsignificant concerns for schools, services,teachers, parents, stakeholders and mostimportantly the children themselves. Thepush for change is set to continue as weenter 2020 with training in theimplementation of the SpecialEducational Needs and Disability (SEND)NI Act and the long-awaited consultationon the Sen Code of Practice. It is up to allof us as teachers and stakeholders to takean active role.

Change is in itself not always a negative– as teachers we have embraced andadapted to many changes over the yearsand challenged those that we feel aremisguided. The INTO’s stance and youraction on assessment and levels ofprogression has prevented a system unfitfor purpose from being implemented andensured a better informed and productivediscussion on assessment between theDepartment of Education and Unionsrepresenting teachers.

What can we as teachers do to ensurethat future changes are in the bestinterests of positive education for us all?

• Speak out at training/presentations if youhave questions or concerns about what ispresented. Complete your evaluationforms reflecting your views of thepresentation/training. All presentationsand training are considered by the Deptof Education and Education Authorityas consultation – you are being

consulted; it is an opportunity for yourvoice to be heard. Let your Union knowif you have concerns.

• Respond to consultations andencourage those you work with torespond too. A response by INTOrepresenting 7,000+ members will becounted as one response, as will aresponse by the Teaching collegesrepresenting their students, the Trustand their Therapists. As a guide see theresponses to the consultation on theSEN Regulations (https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/consultations/draft-special-educational-needs-sen-regulations). Despite significantconcerns being raised there has, todate, been no revision of SENRegulations published. Your responseswill make a difference. Previously whenwe made a call to respond to aconsultation, on the Education budget,you delivered – 23,000 responses wentin – that is not a typo – over 23,000responses and a difference was made.

• Highlight concerns you have in school.The Principal can bring these to theirGovernors and then importantly to SENservices at EANI CYPS. Think about thepupil whose day has been reduced toan hour and a half because theresources are not available to providethe right support. The pupils are forcedto wait to get referred to the EducationPsychologist because you have toprioritise 2 or 3 a year. Meanwhile

assaults, accidents and/or incidentsoccur daily. The risk assessments areconstantly having to be reviewedbecause complex profiles sometimesneed complex solutions. We need tospeak up for smaller class size settingsso that children have a betteropportunity to reach their full potential.

As teachers we have the means toinfluence the Department and EducationAuthority to make changes. TheDepartment of Education CYP Strategy2019-2029 has been published 16December 2019 – it states eight outcomes.Lets make them stand by them for all.• Children and young people are

physically and mentally healthy• Children and young people enjoy play

and leisure• Children and young people learn and

achieve• Children and young people live in

safety and with stability• Children and young people experience

economic and environmental wellbeing• Children and young people make a

positive contribution to society• Children and young people live in a

society which respects their rights• Children and young people live in a

society in which equality of opportunityand good relations are promoted.

CaROlINe McCaRThy, Northern Committee ViceChairperson, works in a Special School. [email protected]

Changein specialeducation


SPECIAL EDUCATION

e original five stage Code of Practicewas presented to schools in the summerterm of 1996, and introduced us to a

plethora of acronyms, including SENCoand IEP. How did we managebeforehand?

In the bright brand new world of theEducation Authority, the SEND Act waspassed in 2016, but has not yetcommenced.

In the Special Education Provision,there will be 3 stages, as opposed to theexisting five:

Stage 1 Majority(School) of children

Stage 2 Smaller(School + External numberAgency) of children

Stage 3 Minority(Statementof SEN) of children

e pathway to access externalservices will still be done by the school’sEducational Psychologist. ey are, andremain the gatekeeper to anyadditionality the Education Authoritymay be able to offer in order to ‘inspire,support and challenge all our Childrenand Young People to be the best thatthey can be.’

e new Stage 2 (but still Stage 3 untilthe changes are implemented )servicesremain non-statutory and across theregion vary in models of service delivery.ere has been work to transition andtransform into one homogenous entitysince the establishment of the EducationAuthority. However, much of thespadework was completed for the nowabandoned Education and SkillsAuthority, which spent up to £15Mwithout so much of a sniff of anyEducation, Skills or Authority evercoming to fruition.

ere are four elements to the newframework:1. Primary Legislation – Special

Educational Needs and Disability Act(Northern Ireland) 2016

2. Secondary Legislation – New SENRegulations

3. Guidance – a new statutory Code ofPractice

4. SEN capacity building (training) onthe new SEN framework

1. Special Educational Needs andDisability Act (Northern Ireland) 2016(SEND)e SEND Act is the first part in the new

New SEN Framework

When Goldilockswent to thehouse of thebears,

Oh what did herblue eyes see?

A bowl that washuge, and a bowlthat was small,

And a bowl thatwas tiny, and thatwas all.

She counted them:one, two, three…

What is offered, regionally, going forward,cannot be too much, nor can it be too little.

e EA services must deliver that whichis just right.


SEN Framework, and it received RoyalAssent in March 2016. e Act placesnew duties on Boards of Governors, theEducation Authority (EA) and healthand social services authorities, andprovides new rights for parents andchildren over compulsory school age.

e EA will be required to publish anannual plan of its arrangements forspecial educational provision. ey willalso have to seek and have regard to theviews of the child when making decisionson special educational provision. e EAhas appointed Global Mediation, anindependent dispute avoidance andresolution service, and independentmediation arrangements to assist them.

e big change in schools will be theappointment of a Learning Support Co -ordinator (but it is still SENCo until thechanges are implemented) and theintroduction of a PLP (but IEPs remainuntil the changes are implemented) ,

with ‘the voice of the child’ being heard.e voice of the professional should notbe underestimated though, and remainsintegral to the process regardless.

e Act also provides for increasedcooperation between the EA and healthand social services authorities to provideservices identified to be of benefit inaddressing a child's SEN.

2. New SEN RegulationsA revised draft of the Regulations isbeing finalised and it is intended that theDepartment will conduct a furtherconsultation on the draft Regulations.Please make a response to theconsultation, and encourage yourcolleagues to do so too.

3. New SEN Code of PracticeWhen this is made available, possibly insome part of 2020, it will go out toschools with accompanying annexed

flow-charts (see above). Until then,schools are still using the 5 stage model.

4. SEN Capacity Building (training) onthe new SEN frameworkSEN capacity building is underway toprepare the schools, Boards ofGovernors and the EA on the new SENframework. A staged implementation ofthe new SEN Framework is anticipatedto be put in place during 2020.

You may be wondering why has therebeen so many delays in theimplementation of the new regulations.We could blame (the lack of) Stormont.We could blame Brexit. We could blameit on the sunshine or moonlight….

In any case, keep a look out for theforthcoming consultations. Do respond.

Porridge anyone?

GeRalDINe McGOwaN, Northern Committee,works in the education authority literacy Service

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Assistant Director Arlene Kee

Assistant Director Ruth Bell

Assistant Director Pat Ward

Assistant Director Una Turbitt

Youth Services and Provision Special Education – Statutory Operations and Provision

Pupil Support Services Pupil Inclusion, Well-being and Protection

Dundonald 028 9056 6946 Armagh 028 3751 2229 erry 028 8241 1533 Rathvarna 028 9056 6891

• Youth Service Planning (Regional/Local)• Stakeholder Engagement Structures (RAG/

LAG)• Statutory Youth Services• Regional Support Service• Funding Allocations for Voluntary Youth

Organisations• Outdoor Learning Service• Curriculum Development and Support• Workforce Development• Participation of Children and Young People• Inclusion and Community Relations, Equality

and Diversity (CRED)• International Work• School Based Youth Work• Specialist Projects:

– TBUC Camp Programme– Youth Intervention Programme– Tackling Paramilitarism– Youth Engagement Project (Derry)– Young People’s Mental Health Project

• Youth Services Operations• External Partnerships

• Statutory Operations within Special Education

• Special Schools• Specialist Provision

attached to Mainstream Schools

• Adult Assistant Allocation and Monitoring

• Transitions• Financial Support Team• Area Planning

• Educational Psychology Service• Autism Advisory and Intervention

Service (AAIS)• Sensory Service (VI and HI)• Literacy Service (SpLD)• SEN Inclusion Service (Learning and

Medical Needs)• Early Years SEN Inclusion Service• Early Intervention Transformation

Programme (EITP)• Language and Communication

Service• Pre-school Education Group (PEG)• Service Reviews• Information, Planning and

Research (Business Planning, Data Management and Pupil Outcomes)

• Special Educational Needs and Disability (2016) Implementation Team

• Child Protection Support Service (Schools and Youth)

• Behaviour Support Service and Provision (Primary)

• Behaviour Support Service and EOTAS Provision – (Post-Primary)

• Exceptional Teaching Arrangements• Nurture Groups• Independent Counselling Service for

Schools• Intercultural Educational Support

Service (Travellers and Newcomers)• Critical Incident Support for Schools• Education Welfare Service• Looked After Children (LAC) Team• Elective Home Education• Dispute Avoidance and Resolution

Service (DARS)

Director of Finance and ICT

Director of Operations and Estates

Director of Human Resources

Director of Education and Area Planning

Director of Children and Young People’s Services

Clare Mangan

Education Authority Chief Executive


If you are a SENCO in a primary school doyou feel like you spend your life like acircus plate spinner or maybe you feel likeyou’re playing a game of ‘whack-a-mole’?

You are probably frustrated that youare unable to offer your pupils thesupport they need due to the pressure ofincreasing budget constraints and thelimited time that is made available to youto fulfil your role.

In a primary school most SENCOs arefull time teachers, and this makes it verydifficult to carry out SEN duties. We allknow that excessive teacher workload ishaving a significant impact on educationacross the board, but this is even moredifficult if you are a SENCO. At clustermeetings many primary SENCOs reportthat they are struggling to cope with theincreasing demands on their time.

One of the biggest challenges is therelentless paperwork. Much of it isrepetitive and often information isduplicated. There is too muchdocumentation required to have a childassessed at Stage 3. Also, when you havecompleted a SAR1 referral is thenfrustrating to have to complete AppendixB and repeat the same information allover again. Not to mention the IEPs towrite, evaluate and monitor; the data toreview and analyse and the resourcematerial to research and develop for staff

to support children.Schools are limited on the number of

children that they can refer, and it can takea long time before they are assessed.Children may then be refused support ifthey don’t meet the criteria set by theEducation Authority (EA). When childrendo meet the criteria, it can take anexcessively long time for the EA to make adecision or the school may be offeredadvisory support. The onus is then on theschool to support the child. Thesethresholds have been raised and thereforemany pupils no longer meet the criteria toreceive direct specialist teaching support.

If a child has met criteria and receives astatement, the number of hours may notbe enough. Schools must then negotiatemore hours which only further delaysaccess to the support that the childrequires.

There is also a lack of consistencybetween services where there needs to bemore emphasis on resources children withnumeracy difficulties as more peripateticsupport services are provided for Literacy,behaviour and AAIS. However, this supportis not enough to meet the demand.

Another prominent issue is the poorcommunication between agencies. Greatertraining needs to be made available forSENCOs in what services that they canobtain and how they can access them.

Problems also arise with SENCOs andstaff gaining access to quality CPDtraining. Many of the courses available areoffered with no sub-cover or are providedoutside of the working day which meansthat teachers are struggling to obtain SENtraining. SENCOs are also spending extratime (unpaid) to complete tasks for theirrole and this adds to dissatisfaction andstress.

As funding across the services continueto be cut and the situation appears to beworsening, delays in the system arecausing undue stress to children, parentsand teachers.

Usually when you are spinning so manyplates it is inevitable that at least one ortwo will fall. Therefore, it is of the upmostimportance that we call for legally protectedtime for SENCOs to carry out their role andthat the excessive paperwork isstreamlined to make it more workable.

SEND should not be seen as ‘Littleextras’ and schools must be fundedproperly so that all SENCOs have thesufficient non-contact time and resourcesto be able to provide the support thechildren and young people need to beable to reach their full potential.

Keep Spinning!

MIChelle McCRySTal, Northern Committee,works in a Primary School

When I first entered teaching the term“pupil centred“ was the buzz phrase.en came SEN revolution. We have lostthe pupil centred approach and nowreplaced with a more document focusedapproach. I have found that the needs ofthe pupils have been summarised onto atarget sheet currently referred to as anIndividual Education Plan (IEP). As longas this document has been completedand reviewed annually everything will befine, or so it seems to be the subtext ofthe legislation. Unfortunately, this is notthe reality.

Children arrive in Year 8 carrying avariety of educational, social andemotional needs. Some of which theprimary school didn’t get the chance toaddress due to having to prioritisestudents. e students must beprioritised as they only have a limited

number of places for the EducationalPsychologist to assess.

During the August staff developmentdays, the SENCO briefly updates staff onany issues that have come to light theprevious year. Children are placed inclasses studying a variety of subjects andexpected to follow a curriculum designedfor the average twelve-year-old whichdoesn’t reflect the reality that some mayhave a reading age as low as six years.How can the child cope? Perhaps thechild will have a Statement of EducationalNeed and they may be lucky enough to beentitled to classroom assistant hours. Butin many cases due to financial constraintswithin the school and EA, they may haveto share these hours. All these issues aremanaged by a SENCO, who may havesome time allocated through theirtimetable to address the sea of

paperwork, which is attached to the postbut in reality, not enough time to addressthe needs of children.

Schools are about to have anotherSEN update imposed and teachers mustwork to ensure that it meets the needs ofevery child within schools.

e allocation of the budget forSpecial Educational Needs should fit thediverse requirements of the pupils ratherthan schools having to attempt to workwithin the budget restrictions.

e policy makers need to furnishschools with a budget to implement theCode of Practice. Investing in the youngpeople and addressing their needs mustbe a priority for the Department ofEducation.

SIObhaN MCelhINNey, Northern Committee,works in a Post Primary School

Role of the SENCO

SPECIAL EDUCATION

SEN within Post Primary


INTO news

Omar al-Badawi was only 22 yearsof age and unarmed, when hewas shot by an Israeli soldierwithin the grounds of the Al-Arroub refugee camp in the

West Bank. Initially wounded in theabdomen, he eventually bled to death.Graphic and harrowing footage of themoment he was shot soon appeared onsocial media, but his death, like many ofthe other Palestinians killed by the Israeliarmy in the West Bank, went largely un-noticed and un-reported.

Footage of the shooting first appearedon 11th November. My initial shock andhorror at the killing was added to when Irealised that less than two weeks earlier, Iwas part of a Trade Union delegation thathad visited Al-Arroub camp andexperienced the warmth, kindness andhospitality of those who live there. Wealso witnessed the cramped,overcrowded and unhygienic conditionsthat have to be endured by its 10,000inhabitants.

Al-Arroub is one of 19 Palestinianrefugee camps in the West Bank, whichtogether, are home to 800,000Palestinians. Located 10 miles south ofBethlehem it was established in 1949following the Arab-Israeli War and thedeclaration of the state of Israel in 1948.750,000 Palestinians fled or were drivenfrom their homes as a result of what theydescribe as the Nakba, “Catastrophe”.

According to the UN Relief and WorksAgency for Palestine Refugees (UNWRA)Al-Arroub has one of the highest numberof “incursions” by the Israeli military of all

the refugee camps in the West Bank. AnIsraeli military watchtower is locatedimmediately outside the camp andclashes are frequent; as is the use of teargas, sound bombs, plastic-coated metalbullets and live ammunition by membersof the Israeli military. Arrests and thedetention of children in Israeli prisons areincreasingly common during theseclashes, and this was one of the issuesthat the delegation was most interestedin investigating when we visited the WestBank.

We learned that every year, between500 – 700 Palestinian children, some asyoung as 12 years of age, are detained andprosecuted in the Israeli military courtsystem. Indeed, Israel is the only countryin the world that automaticallyprosecutes children in military courts. Themost common charge is stone throwingand since the year 2000, at least 8,000Palestinian children have been arrestedand prosecuted. Heavily armed Israeli

soldiers often take children from theirhomes during the night. They aretransferred to interrogation anddetention centres, alone, sleep deprivedand often bruised and scared. Theirappearance in a military court is usuallywhen a child first sees a lawyer and hisfamily. These courts rarely excludeevidence obtained by coercion, including“confessions” drafted in Hebrew, alanguage that most Palestinian childrendo not understand. If convicted, childrenface a maximum sentence of between 10and 20 years in prison, depending ontheir age.

Our delegation was made up of 17Trade Union activists fromthroughout Ireland. Unionsrepresented included the IrishNational Teachers Organisation,

Unison, Unite and Forsa. Organised byTrade Union Friends of Palestine (TUFP),with the support of the Irish Congress ofTrades Unions, the focus of the visit waschildren’s health and education and theimpact on these as a result of the on-going Israeli occupation.

The first couple of days were spent inEast Jerusalem, visiting a number ofPalestinian run schools and experiencingfirst hand the inspirational attitude anddetermination of the teachers and pupils,despite the challenging circumstancesand environment that they have toendure.

East Jerusalem, along with the rest ofthe West Bank and Gaza, was annexedand occupied by Israel following the Six

Trade Union Friends of Palestinevisit to the West Bank26th October – 3rd November 2019


Nuacht CMÉ

Day War in 1967. (Israel’s ongoingoccupation of the West Bank, Gazaand East Jerusalem constitutes theworld’s longest military occupation inmodern times).

Today, the Palestinianpopulation of east Jerusalemstands at over 400,000 but theyremain under constant threatof losing their homes and

residency rights. Supposedly granted“Permanent Residency Status” in 1967,they must continuously prove thatthey are resident in East Jerusalem orface losing their homes. They are alsocut off from the rest of the West Bankby the separation wall that has beenbuilt by over the last two decades. Thewall around Jerusalem twists andturns for around 125 miles and the restof the structure, built around the WestBank, runs for around 440 miles. TheIsraelis initially argued that the wall was atemporary security measure but thePalestinian people that we met wereadamant that its purpose is to annexmore Palestinian land under the guise ofsecurity. This view is supported by an EUreport from 2009 in which the Israeligovernment was accused of "activelypursuing the illegal annexation" of EastJerusalem. The report found that "…factson the ground, including new settlements,construction of the barrier, discriminatoryhousing policies and house demolitions…weaken the Palestinian community in thecity, impede Palestinian urbandevelopment and separate East Jerusalemfrom the rest of the West Bank”. TheInternational Court of Justice has ruledthat the wall is a violation of internationallaw and the UN General Assembly hascalled for its removal.

A moving afternoon was spent visitingthe site of a number of Palestinian homesthat had been demolished by the Israelimilitary. Human Rights organisations andthe UN have consistently criticised the on-going demolitions and AmnestyInternational has contended that theIsraeli government uses demolitions tocollectively punish Palestinians and toseize property for the expansion of Israelisettlements. Despite this internationalcondemnation, it is estimated that Israelhas demolished almost 50,000 Palestinianstructures since 1967.

As we travelled throughout the WestBank the number and scale of Israelisettlements was striking. Over 400 000

settlers live in one of the 130 settlementsbuilt on land that has been occupiedsince 1967. Most of the internationalcommunity, including the UN and theInternational Court of Justice, considerthe settlements to be illegal, but this hasnot prevented their continued expansion.Many now have well-establishedneighbourhoods with shopping centres,cinemas, leisure facilities and evenuniversities. All of them are heavilyprotected by the Israeli military anddeliberately cut off from the rest of theWest Bank. Amnesty International, alongwith many other organisations hasargued that the settlements, and Israel’slong running policy of settling civilians inoccupied territory, amounts to a warcrime. The Palestinian Authority ispowerless in preventing the expansion ofthe settlements, even in parts of the WestBank that are supposed to be under itsdirect control.

One of the most tense and heavilymilitarised settlements that ourdelegation witnessed, was theone established in the ancientcity of Hebron. Since 1997 the

city has been divided into two sectors, H1and H2. H1, home to over 200,000Palestinians, is under the control of thePalestinian Authority. H2, which includesaround 500 settlers in the centre of thecity, is completely enclosed by 18 militarycheckpoints and under direct Israelimilitary control. Palestinian residents aresubjected to repeated body searches andharassment and must register to obtainspecial permits to navigate through the

checkpoints. The settlers live in aseries of Jewish-only streets that areheavily guarded by Israeli troops. Welearned from our guide that thesestreets are referred to as “sterilezones”. Palestinians are not permittedto enter.

A very uplifting part of our visit wasthe time spent meeting with thechildren and teachers of a schoolwithin the militarised centre of thecity. The staff and pupils have toundergo a daily ritual of searches andquestioning as they make their waythrough the checkpoints to theschool building and grounds that, byany objective measure, is totally unfitfor the education of children.Nevertheless we were greeted bysmiling, welcoming children andteachers whose resilience and

determination in the face of suchadversity was both humbling andinspirational. On the day our delegationvisited, an Israeli soldier had shot aPalestinian woman at the entrance to theIbrahimi Mosque, not far from the school.(In 1994, a Jewish settler shot 29Palestinian worshippers dead inside themosque). This cut short our visit as it wasexplained that 5 teachers who had beenmaking their way to the school, had beenhospitalized as a result of tear gas, fired bythe Israeli military, in the aftermath of theshooting. The school had to close and thechildren sent home early.

As our trip to the West Bank cameto an end and members of thedelegation were preparing to flyhome, one final surprise awaitedus. Israeli security personnel at

Ben Gurion airport signaled members ofour delegation out for intensivequestioning. They were clearly aware thatwe had been in the West Bank and anumber of female delegates were forcedto undergo intimate and intrusive bodysearches. The experience was a far frompleasant one, but paled in significance tothe hardship and oppression endured bythe Palestinian people. On a number ofoccasions, we asked those who lookedafter us on our visit, what we could bestdo to help the Palestinian cause. “Tell ourstory” was the reply, “tell the world what ishappening to us and especially to ourchildren, because no one is listening”.

Paul wOODS, belfast west branch INTO, Stlouise’s Comprehensive College, belfast


INTO news

New arrangements for work experiencefor Controlled, Maintained and IrishMedium Schools were released by theEducation Authority in September 2019.A number of INTO members have beenin touch with Northern Office to expresstheir concerns over these arrangementswhich look like creating significantadditional workload and placing yetmore responsibility on the shoulders ofteachers and school leaders while, on theface of it, removing it from theEducation Authority.

Work Experience is a valuable part ofthe education of young people inschools. Best practice in CareersEducation Information Advice andGuidance (CEIAG) encourages the useof work placements and for somevocational qualifications placements area requirement for successful completionof the course. Quality work placementsoffer valuable insight into the world ofwork and can enhance young people’soverall experience of education. In andof themselves work placements can alsobe valuable in helping young people tomake effective and positive careerchoices.

However, the organisation andimplementation of Work Experience foryoung people also comes with hugeresponsibility and significant workload.Some of the issues identified by INTO asbeing potentially problematic include:

- e requirement for risk assessments - Vetting arrangements - Placements in the South- e level of paperwork required - Logistical problems of ensuring site

visits before and during placements

It is of paramount importance that thesafety and well-being of young people onplacements is front and centre in anypreparation and implementation ofwork-based learning programmes.However this takes significant time andresources, the essential resource beingteaching staff, properly trained andequipped to carry out the necessaryvisits and engage in the necessarymyriad of communications withemployers, parents and the EA.

e administrative tasks associated

with the programme are not part of ateachers’ responsibilities and cannotreasonably be expected of them. ereare at least six forms to be completed foreach pupil. In an average sized schoolwith Post 16 Provision this could meanupwards of 500 pupils taking part in

work placements per year amounting to3,000 required documents to be sentout, collected, compiled and completed.is does not include initial letters outto parents and carers and any log booksor similar that have to be compiled andmonitored, nor does it include whateverquestionnaires or similar for therecommended monitoring andevaluation.

Some of the guidance around AccessNI checks is at best vague and, it wouldappear, inconsistent with DENIguidelines on ‘Managing Safeguardingand Child Protection in Schools’. ereis clear guidance on safely managingvolunteers, parents, visitors andcontracted workers. ere is also arequirement for enhanced Access NIchecks on in schools and on teachingstaff, invigilators and contractedtransport providers. Yet when it comesto sending young people on workplacements the guidance is much lessspecific. is is a matter of concern toINTO.

For schools in border areas who havetraditionally relied on employers across

both jurisdictions to provide placementsof suitable quality, the new schemethrows up further ambiguities aroundindemnification. While allowing forpupils to travel across the border to takepart in placements, the EA state that‘indemnity cannot be provided by theEA’. is will undoubtedly make schoolsand employers wary of cross borderplacements and make the provision ofplacements in certain rural areas forlarge numbers of students very difficult.ere may well be reasons beyond thereach of the Education Authority aloneto address with regard to this, but amore meaningful consultation processwith teachers, schools and theirrepresentative Trade Unions may wellhave led to more clarity and direction onthis and other matters. e same appliesto those other areas of concernhighlighted by our members.

It has also been brought to INTO’sattention that not all schools wereincluded in the distribution of the newguidelines when they were released atthe start of this academic year meaningthat staff and leadership in those schoolshad even less notice and time to preparefor the changes that have been imposed.

INTO have issued a bulletin offeringadvice on this matter and membersshould contact their NorthernCommittee Representative in the firstinstance if they have any further queriesor concerns.

INTO will be seeking engagementwith EA on this matter. In the interim,the advice from INTO is for membersnot to engage with the new workexperience arrangements until we can beassured that they will not be exposed tounnecessary risk in doing so and untilthe issue of workload has been dealtwith satisfactorily. Where the workplacements are a compulsory element ofa recognised qualification INTO advisesthat teachers must be given adequatetime and resources to fulfil therequirements of the specification andshould seek advice from their NorthernCommittee Representative or NorthernOffice where necessary.

KeVIN Daly, Northern Committee Chairperson

Work ExperienceInformation, Advice and Guidance Required

… the organisationand implementationof Work Experiencefor young peoplealso comes withhuge responsibilityand significantworkload

Limavady/Dungiven

RetirementThe Limavady/Dungiven branch ofthe INTO, held their annualretirement dinner at the Roe Parkresort, Limavady in November 2019.

The branch recognised the 37year career of Mary Woods, whorecently retired from teaching in theClaudy area.

Mary (left) is pictured receiving gifts from MrSean Mullan (Branch treasurer) and Mrs Joan

Guthrie (Branch Chairperson).

Solidarity withCity Hospital staff


Nuacht CMÉ

INTO Officials and staff joined UNISON, NIPSA and UNITE on theirpicket line at the City Hospital, Belfast to express solidarity with

their fight for pay parity and patient safety.INTO Northern Secretary Gerry Murphy in his capacity as President of ICTU addressing supporters

at UCU rally

INTO Northern Secretary Gerry Murphy welcomes branchsecretaries to a training day on the new membership system –

building on and improving contact with our members

INTO support protest over pay andpensions at Queen’s University

Branch secretary training day

Plight of Palestinian Children Conference

The impressive INTO delegation to #PalestinianChildren #TUFP2019 who gathered in Dublin on 23rd November2019 to learn about the plight of Palestinian children living under the horrors of military occupation.

Advertising in Printout• Have you an event you would like to promote?• Are you involved in providing a service that may be of

interest to our members?INTO members can place an advert or an article inPrintout. Contact Christine McDonnell on028 9038 1455 or email [email protected].

Printout is published by the Irish National Teachers’Organisation and distributed to members andeducational institutions.

Articles published in Printout are also available on

our website www.into.ie.The views expressed in this journal are those of the

individual authors and are not necessarily endorsedby the INTO.

While every care has been taken to ensure that theinformation contained in this publication is up to dateand correct, no responsibility will be taken by the IrishNational Teachers’ Organisation for any error whichmight occur.

Except where the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation

has formally negotiated agreements as part of itsservices to members, inclusion of an advertisement doesnot imply any form of recommendation. While everyeffort is made to ensure the reliability of advertisers, theINTO cannot accept liability for the quality of goods andservices offered.

For all publications please visit our website atwww.into.ie/NI/Publications/ and electronicallyby signing up at www.into.ie/NI/Publications/E-Newsletter/Subscribe/

QUB BRACs Research

QUB BRACs Research received a cheque for £180following the Down Branch Charity Quiz inNewcastle following their Branch meeting.

In the photo, from left to right: Paul Boyd(District 1 and Down Branch Secretary, DympnaMcPeake Down Branch Committee, Lotte RietveldQUB BRACs Research, Seamus Hanna District 1CEC Rep, Susan McMullan Down Branch ViceChairperson.


INTO news

Michelle McCrystal briefs the Northern Committee on her recent delegate visit tothe West Bank and East Jerusalem, during the December meeting in the James

Connolly Visitor Centre

Down Branch activities

Northern Committee meet at James Connolly Centre

Charity QuizSusan McMullan, Vice ChairpersonDown Branch, presents a cheque for£180 to Ian McCracken, MourneMountain Rescue following a BranchCharity Quiz in Newcastle.

Netball Club

At the request of Susan McMullan,INTO Vice Chairperson, DownBranch, and coach of the NewcastleNetball Club, Down Branch kindlysponsored the 'INTOCoaches ChoiceShield' for the playerof the season,marking the end of itsfirst competitiveseason in the NetballNI league. Theinaugural recipient,

Sarah O'Neill was delighted to bepresented with the shield and herswill be the first of many names to berecorded on the INTO shield. The

support and generosity ofthe INTO branch isgratefully appreciated bythe club and it's members.The club has over 90 girlsaged from 9 – 16, fromvarious schools around theCounty, registered andplaying in the club.

Northern Committee outside the James Connolly Visitor Centre

Application Form for Submission of Work/s

Please complete and return this form to Northern Office. Entrants must a good quality photograph of their work/s, with this form, by 12 noon on day, 2 April 20

Works without a corresponding application form will not be accepted.

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If submitting more than one entry please note the maximum of two entries per member

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I have read and agree to the conditions of entry and the INTO Data Privacy Policy. Please tick nPieces submitted for consideration by the panel should be original works by the artist named, and should have been completed within the past 5 years. All

entries are subject to selection. Winners will receive a cash prize but no additional monies. Winning entry will become the exclusive property of INTO. INTO

retains its discretion to reject works considered objectionable or contrary to the aims and objectives of INTO. INTO will take all due care with entries but

INTO accepts no responsibility for the damage, loss, theft, or accident, of any kind, from any cause. INTO reserves the right to make any further adjustments

deemed necessary. The panel’s decisions are �nal. All entries will be included in a future Printout feature.

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the Data Protection Acts 1988-2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (‘Data Protection Law’). This privacy policy may be amended and updated from time to time and

can be accessed on the INTO website at www.into.ie/NI

The annual Art Competition provides anopportunity for INTO to celebrate theartistic talent of its members. 2020 may bethe year you make the move and enter forthe first time and indeed, it could be youryear to win! Entrants have the choice ofsubmitting one or a maximum of twopaintings in a medium of their choice.

Each entry should relate to one of thefollowing themes: People - Animals -Landscape -Seascape – Cityscape –Abstract. One overall winning entry will bechosen by a judging panel. The overallwinner (and if appropriate, a highlycommended entry) will be announced atthe 2020 Vere Foster Lecture.

The Vere Foster Lecture is an annualevent, usually held in May, at Vere FosterHouse, College Gardens, Belfast. Thewinner will receive a cash (cheque) prize.All entries will be included in a futurePrintout feature.

For further information on thecompetition please email [email protected]

2020 ART COMPETITION


Nuacht CMÉ

CLOSING DATE 24 APRIL 2020


INTO news

Save the Children Christmas Jumper Day

Northern Committee and Northern Office Staff supporting ‘Save the Children Christmas Jumper Day’ onFriday 13th December

Christine McDonnell (INTO Office Manager) ispictured presenting Peter Bryson (Head of Country –

Save The Children) @savethechildren_ni with acheque for £130.00

ACROSS1. Pretty empty for pistols (6)5. Ex Northern Committee dinosaur (6)8. Seep slowly (4)10. He reported the Silence on the

Western theatre of operations (8)11. Teachers’ bygone silencer (4)13. Fired an air gun at Magyar cousin (6)14. Breakfast club substance (4)15. Ipad in full (4)18. Never a bore about ’38 Spanish

battle (4)21. They easily explain the exact

dimensions of two hectares (8)22. Openly stare at (4)23. Deductions ignored (10)24. Geg (9,3)

DOWN1. He was there to oversee for the

nation’s children (4,6)2. Thai’s neighbour (9)3. Being negative out of ignorance (3)4. Quote price for new hat (5)5. Brett Kavanagh’s favourite (5)6. Lesson plenary (6)7. Does not give way in Louth or Meath

(5)9. On the rails in Berlin (3)12. Still likes the old-timer (6)16. Non-prophet belief (7)17. Custom made lessons (7)19. Most say he made porridge (6)20. The two never fused (5)

All correct entries will be entered in the Printout Crossword draw and the prize for thefirst drawn will be a £50 M&S voucher.The closing date for the draw is Wednesday, 1st April 2020.Return entries, with your name, name of school and TR number to:Christine McDonnell, INTO Vere Foster House, 23–24 College Gardens, Belfast,BT9 6BS by fax or post or scan/photo to [email protected]

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welcome to into indepth feature on special education visit ... · visit to west bank, palestine ......

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