Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

As an associate member of a teaching union, I have been somewhat disturbed by the e-mails I have been receiving from the union encouraging me to vote in favour of industrial action. It is the right of unions to do so, but the question is whether it is responsible for the union leadership to be encouraging strike action at a time of national economic collapse. I do not believe they speak for the majority of teachers. They do not speak for the majority of teachers I know, many of whom are partners of or married to people in the private sector. Based on the ballot, 55% voted and of those 77% voted in favour, which is only approximately 40% of the total number of teachers. I ask the Leader to make every effort to speak directly to the Taoiseach and the Minister for Education and Science to ask them to redouble their efforts to prevent this national day of strike next Tuesday. I know it is the intention of the majority of teachers to be in the classroom.

On the subject of laptops in schools, ICT is a very important learning tool. Every study on literacy and learning indicates that computers in schools improve learning outcomes. However, what is the point of computers if the school does not have reliable broadband connectivity? What is the point of computers if teachers do not have adequate training to use them and to teach their pupils how to use them? Funding for resource teachers who provide computer training was withdrawn last year. This is too important an issue for anybody to play politics with it. The reality is that the computers in schools programme is only a gimmick unless it is done right. As such, I support others in calling for a debate on information and communications technology in schools. There is no point in providing for that in some schools but not in others, thus creating further inequality in the education system.