The Assocation of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) has voted to reject proposals aimed at resolving a series of disputes with the Government over pay and education reforms.

The decision means industrial action looms as tens of thousands of students prepare for their State exams.

The ASTI’s leadership has insisted that any future action will not lead to school closures and will minimise disruption to students.

However, it said it reserves the right to strike if the Government follows through on “threats” which could lead to redundancies among its members.

The union voted by 52.5 per cent to 47.5 per cent to reject settlement proposals, based on a turnout of 75 per cent.

Junior Cert students in two-out-of-three secondary schools , however, face losing 10 per cent in this summer’s English exam due to the ASTI’s continuing dispute over education reforms.

The union’s members are also set to lose out on thousands of euro in planned pay increases over the coming months as result of the vote.

The settlement proposals followed industrial action which closed hundreds of secondary schools over three days in October and November.

The ASTI’s executive reccomended its 18,000 members reject the proposals on the basis that they did not go far enough to restore auterity-era pay and conditions for members.

The union says its resumption of industrial action will include an “orderly withdrawal” from supervision and substitution duties.

While this action led to the closure of schools late last year, the union says it will continue to perform these dutiespaid for a period of time to ensure schools do not close.

Members will continue to refuse to work Croke Park hours, while the union’s non-coperation on junior cycle reform will remain in place.