Teaching Council

djemba djemba · 28-02-2012 5:56pm

Just a Quick question about the election. I am a post primary teacher in the Leinster area. As the male and female candidates are unopposed I am guessing I wont need to get any ballot papers. Is this correct or will there be a reopen nominations option on the ballot paper.

Son of Jack · 28-02-2012 10:32pm

Yes you are correct

as those candidates are re elected unopposed

you won't be voting this time round.

Son of Jack · 28-02-2012 10:35pm

delta_bravo wrote: »

Has anyone not received their ballot yet? I haven't gotten mine

Perhaps you are in a constituency where the number of candidates equals the number of seats.

In which case there will be no vote as they will be elected unopposed.

or

Perhaps they have been delivered to a previous address.

delta_bravo · 28-02-2012 11:14pm

Son of Jack wrote: »

Perhaps you are in a constituency where the number of candidates equals the number of seats.

In which case there will be no vote as they will be elected unopposed.

or

Perhaps they have been delivered to a previous address.

Just had a look there and as an umeployed nqt I have no idea what constituency I would be in apart from Leinster. I'll give them a ring tomorrow.

Son of Jack · 29-02-2012 6:58pm

Good luck with that. Hope you get to exercise your vote.

Pat-ience · 29-02-2012 8:11pm

I think it is important to vote because every vote will count. The margins re information I saw elsewhere very tight.
"At the last Teaching Council Election
The results in Leinster were as follows.
Primary (Leinster)
Ballots issued 8393
Ballot items returned 2501
Invalid Ballot items returned 86
Ballots opened 2415
Candidate X 1180
Candidate Y 1172
Invalid Ballots 63
Last time out "2352 of 8393 people eligible to vote did"
and there were 8 votes between the candidates.

golden virginia · 29-02-2012 8:39pm

I am a registered teacher in the Leinster Area - i have received notice of my renewal of registration fees from the Teaching Council but nothing about the elections!

2011abc · 29-02-2012 9:05pm

Same here -Not impressed ...

spurious · 29-02-2012 9:49pm

In the same week, our school has received an allocation that is 3.5 teachers down on last year because of withdrawal of legacy posts.

I don't hear the TC shouting about that as they hoover up their 90 euros from newly qualified teachers who continue to be trained in ridiculously high numbers for a 'profession' with no jobs.

Toto Wolfcastle · 02-03-2012 9:00pm

The TC has re-issued the ballot papers because of an error on the Declaration of Identity form. The other day they just issued a replacement by e-mail but apparently following legal advice they're sending them out again. Seem like an awful waste of money that could have been avoided if they had checked everything before it was sent out.

cmssjone · 02-03-2012 9:09pm

Received the following email today as I am sure many others have...

Please see the notice below which has been issued by the Council today, Friday 2 March 2012.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The process for the election of teachers to the Teaching Council is underway. As part of this election process, on 17 February 2012 ballot materials were sent to all registered teachers eligible to vote in the constituencies where a poll must be held.

The Council regrets that an error was contained on the Declaration of Identity form which issued with the ballot papers.

Having taken legal advice, the Council decided at its extraordinary meeting on Friday, 2 March 2012, that it had no viable option other than to set aside the original ballot and to re-issue ballot materials to all registered teachers eligible to vote.

The Council is concerned to preserve the integrity of the election process at all stages so as to ensure members can be properly appointed to the next Council. The Council wishes to make it clear that, as required by the Teaching Council Acts, those members of the Council who are also candidates standing for election, withdrew from the Council’s discussion and did not participate in decisions on these matters.

The Council apologises sincerely for any inconvenience caused and as a matter of priority, the Council will review the election process when completed.

NEXT STEPS

1. Voters are requested to discard any ballot materials which they may have already received. The Council and the Returning Officer have decided to set aside the original ballot of teachers. Any ballot materials received by the Council in relation to the first ballot will be set aside.

2. Voters will shortly receive a fresh set of ballot materials and the Council urges Voters to complete these and return them to the Returning Officer so as to be received no later than 5pm on Tuesday, 20 March 2012.

3. In order to allow Voters adequate opportunity to submit their votes on time, the Returning Officer has extended the closing date for return of completed ballot papers to 5pm on Tuesday, 20 March 2012. The Returning Officer has also rescheduled the time and date for the commencement of the counting of the votes to 9am on Thursday, 22 March 2012. Counting of the votes will take place in Maynooth, Co. Kildare.

Well at least I know that my hard earned 90 Euros is going to a worthwhile cause...

linguist · 02-03-2012 9:19pm

Absolute incompetence. The combined wisdom of our professional body now amounts to functional illiteracy. It is an utter embarrassment to think that it was beyond their ability to design a simple form and check it before it went out. They deserve to be hung out to dry over this fiasco.

02-03-2012 9:21pm

This is a disgrace. Everyone, just take a minute and send them a mail asking how much the new ballots will cost as well as the "legal advice" they took...

Son of Jack · 02-03-2012 9:25pm

Good idea.
I will.
Though
I doubt if I will get a reply.
This error is indicative
of the ineptitude of the TC.

02-03-2012 9:27pm

Agreed. And if just you and I did, we probably wouldn't get replies, or maybe a horrible generic, avoiding response. But if they get dozens of mails politely asking how much this will cost, since we're picking up the tab, something MIGHT come of it.

evolving_doors · 02-03-2012 9:28pm

Phew I'm just glad my 90euros is actually being used for something! Rather than sitting in a pot for years waiting to be siphoned off..

I hope it gave the printing company and Legals some extra work (although they could have asked the Shinners to print it off for them Ooooo)

littlerose2 · 04-03-2012 11:04pm

This was on the Irish Independent website today...

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/fg-td-mitchell-oconnor-calls-for-teaching-council-to-be-scrapped-3038938.html

Son of Jack · 13-03-2012 9:18pm

Teaching Council members ought to have got their second lot of ballot papers by now.

Please note that you don't have too much time to vote this time round.

They have to be returned by 20th March.

It could be an opportunity (in some constituencies) to make a change.

Son of Jack · 16-03-2012 7:15am

Ballots closes on Tuesday 20th at five ...so post today

(That is...if you are voting!)

Pjfogar · 22-05-2012 12:52pm

Almost a year now... Application receipt Aug 2011 AND STILL NO NUMBER.... The Teaching Council = A great bunch of lads.....!!!!!!!!!!

Teaching Council

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