Teachers' workload dispute: Minister needs to hammer out deal before children's educations suffer, says UUP's Burrows

That’s according to the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party as provincewide industrial action in schools loomed, as teachers remained locked in a dispute with government officials over what unions say are excessive workloads.

One union has stated the Department of Education has been “unable to produce a package capable of addressing the crisis facing school leadership”, leaving officials without a “credible plan” to implement 27 changes set down in an independent review that could ease workloads on overstretched teachers.

Beginning on Monday next week, the action short of strike will bring in what amounts to ‘work to rule’ arrangements, in which educators won’t go beyond their contracted weekly teaching hours and will refuse to take on extra duties. That has the potential to hit after-school activities, potentially curtailing or cancelling them.

Teachers will also heavily cut back on the number of meetings they’re willing to attend outside of normal hours, including consultations with parents, and won’t answer emails, phone calls or direct messages outside of their defined work times.

Education Minster Paul Givan has expressed his disappointment with the industrial action, maintaining there were “constructive discussions” about the dispute over the summer.

But for the UUP’s Jon Burrows, the onus remains on education bosses to bend – including the minister and his officials.

“Teachers do not take industrial action lightly,” he said. “That they have reached this point tells you everything about the pressure they are under.

“Workloads have become unmanageable. Teachers are giving up their evenings, weekends and family time simply to keep up, and many experienced staff are asking whether they can stay in the profession at all.

“While the immediate impact on pupils should be limited, parents will rightly be concerned about where this goes next. Teachers hold a mandate for strike action, and if this dispute is allowed to drag on, it is children’s education that will ultimately suffer.”

Pointing out that the review containing 27 suggestions for change was published in November of last year, the Ulster Unionist leader hit out at what he argues is a failure of bosses to bring those changes into play on the ground.

“Almost a year on, teachers have seen round after round of consultation, meetings and discussion papers, but very little that has made a practical difference in their classrooms,” he said.

“Consultation is not a substitute for delivery, and teachers’ patience has run out.

“The best way to protect children’s education is to resolve this dispute quickly. I implore the Education Minister to get back around the table, agree a clear and time-bound plan to implement the review’s recommendations in full, and show teachers that change is finally coming.”

Both unions and education officials have maintained they’re willing to enter into further negotiations, though feelings remain high.

One body representing workers, the Irish National Teachers Organisation, bluntly said “enough is enough” while stating the department hasn’t “provided sufficient assurances that unnecessary workload pressures will be reduced in practice”.

Meanwhile Mr Givan sought to minimise the scope of the dispute, insisting most issues have progressed leaving only “further work required on a small number of issues”.