The ASTI appears to have concluded its passive phase as the State's larger second-level union began its 84th annual convention yesterday. Defeated presidential candidate John Molloy was the subject of points of order, booing and even a hiss or two as he attempted to raise the divisive issue of union reform.
Calling for a "review of the way the union does its business", Mr Molloy urged delegates to consider extending the vote for vice-president and treasurer to all members of the ASTI, in order to stem the "life-threatening" shrinkage of attendance at branch meetings.
His words were met with a chorus of "points of order", one of which was upheld. Delegate Louis O'Flaherty took the stand to request that "the defeated candidate" refrain from political speechmaking.
Mr Molloy returned to the podium to observe that "there are obviously still some sensitive issues around here". When newly elected president Michael Freeley finally took the podium, he appealed to all members to "go forward in a united way".
Mr Freeley, a teacher at Balla secondary school in Co Mayo, is a former vice-president of ASTI. He won by 259 votes to 124.
After a couple of meek years mending the fences torn down during the bitter industrial disputes of 2001, ASTI delegates were in fighting form yesterday on the subject of discipline in schools.
It appears that the honeymoon period for Minister for Education Mary Hanafin, the darling of last year's convention, is well and truly over. Evidence of cooling ardour came in the form of calls for the Minister's expulsion and to "bellow in her ear" on the subject of the broadly derided recommendations of the task force on discipline.
Larry McGuinness, from Fingal, claimed the recent report of the task force was "about as useful as tits on a boar pig" and its recommendations were of no use in an Ireland that is now "a pathetic, lousy societal entity".
Union reform was also a hot topic among delegates.
Those in favour of changing the voting system are hoping that all members will be offered the chance to vote in their schools, instead of at branch meetings, where recent turnout has been "abysmal", in the words of one delegate.
