Up to 1,100 second-level schools, institutes of technology, technological universities and centres of further education may have to close on February 4th – just days before the general election – due to a strike by thousands of teachers. The union said it wanted to make the issue of the two-tier pay system in schools a “key election issue”. Another union representing second level teachers, the ASTI, said that its central executive council would meet on Saturday, January 25th to consider the pay issue. However, the union expects it is likely a significant number of these will close as a consequence of the strike by TUI members. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said it would be regrettable if the teachers go ahead with their decision to strike.

Source: The Irish Times January 17, 2020 12:27 UTC