The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) is due to meet with officials from the Department of Education today, ahead of an escalation of industrial action on Monday.

Some 17,000 secondary teachers are due to withdraw from all supervision and substitution duties after the mid-term.

This could see the indefinite closure of hundreds of schools.

Last week, the union staged an official strike day over pay levels for new entrants to the profession.

Six more days of strike action are scheduled to take place this and next month.

The Department of Education say its officials have remained in regular contact with the school management bodies on contingency arrangements ahead of the withdrawal of supervision and substitution from November 7th.

But it adds: "At this stage it remains the case that widespread school closures are expected from the 7th November due to the ASTI’s industrial action and non-cooperation with contingency."

The department say there is a deal on offer to ASTI, which would see pay increases of 15% and 22% for new entrant teachers, with a route to further possible increases after that.