Midlands teacher takes over as INTO president

A midland teacher has taken over as the new president of the Irish National Teachers Organisation.

A native of Roosky, County Roscommon and member of the Longford branch, Carmel Browne represented District 7 encompassing Longford, Westmeath, Offaly, Kildare and Meath on the INTO Central Executive Committee since 2015.

She has been a member of the INTO since she started her teaching career in 1980. She has worked at branch and district level and has served as District 7 representative on the Equality Committee, taking on the role of chairperson until her election to the INTO executive in 2015. She was also a member of the INTO Project Team on Pay Equality.

Carmel has worked with all age groups from infants to sixth class and as a learning support and resource teacher.

She successfully completed her Master’s in Education in 2011 and also taught in West London for several years.

She is currently a member of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). 

Carmel is a keen sports person and advocates the benefits of being physically active for children and teachers alike. She believes now is the time for all INTO members to show solidarity and continue to work together to address workload issues, restore posts of responsibility and to protect and improve our pay and conditions.

Carmel is a lifelong proponent of equality and human rights issues. She has no doubt that both issues are at the core of priorities for the INTO at present and she looks forward to working with members to bring about change for the better.

She believes that overcrowded classrooms are detrimental to children in our primary schools and limit the implementation of effective modern teaching methods.

Furthermore, she believes that the deplorable lack of funding for our schools needs to be addressed urgently. She welcomes the innovative changes proposed to enhance curriculum in primary schools in the coming years and will continue to strive to ensure that this new curriculum is adequately funded and resourced.

She looks forward to continuing to work with members to bring about change for the better.

Carmel said: “It is an honour to take up the position of INTO president. I will continue to represent our members and strive to deliver improved conditions of employment for teachers north and south.

"Increasing diversity in the teaching profession in Ireland to better represent our diverse communities is a particularly important goal for all of us. Working with stakeholders to ensure adequate supports for children with additional needs and those from disadvantaged communities is a key priority. Every child has a right to access appropriate education in a safe space.

Continued activism at local level is integral to maintaining a strong voice for INTO to ensure that collectively we are successful in achieving our goals. I encourage all members to have their voice heard at branch and district meetings. I look forward to meeting members north and south in the coming months.”