The Teachers Union of Ireland is to go ahead with a one-day stoppage on 24 February in protest at the effects of cuts on schools and its members.

The strike will affect up to 350 second-level schools, as well as colleges of further education.

The decision was taken by the union's executives at a meeting this afternoon.

The unions said the strike will go ahead unless meaningful progress was made in the meantime with the Department of Education.

The TUI's main concerns centre around what the union says is the exploitation of new entrants to the teaching profession. It says many of its younger members are trapped in casual employment, working low hours for less pay than teachers employed before 2012.

A meeting is set to take place between the TUI and the Department next week.

"In a national ballot, TUI members in the second level and further/adult education sectors voted by a margin of 89% to engage in a campaign of industrial action to secure resolution to crisis issues," TUI President Gerry Quinn said.

"Of key concern are the precarious employment status and income poverty of new and recent entrants to the profession and the continuing, damaging effects of cutbacks on the service provided to students.

"We will meet with the Department in the hope of developing viable solutions to all of our issues. In the event that sufficient progress is not made, we will take strike action," added Mr Quinn.