The ASTI is promising industrial action that could arise in the coming months will not affect students in the same way as last year.

Members are to vote this month on the latest proposals aimed at resolving a row over pay and Junior Cert reform, but officials have recommended they be rejected.

If they are turned down, it is expected schools will not have to shut their doors because of the resulting industrial action.

The withdrawal of ASTI members from supervision duties led to the temporary closure of some schools in October & November - although further closures were averted when planned strike action was suspended.

ASTI President Ed Byrne did not rule out the possibility of strike action, but said they are well aware of the pressures on young people.

"ASTI are very aware of students, their parents and the exams," he told The Pat Kenny Show. "Any industrial action we take will be carefully thought out to lessen the impact on students in a way that may not have happened before Christmas."

He explained the proposals "gave us nothing with regard to the things that closed schools" - in particular the restoration of pay for new teachers.

Unions are looking to have the 'Common Basic Scale' restored - an incremental pay scale that applied to all teachers before 2011.

He observed: "What has been offered is a partial payment to the new entrants that would bring them some way along the lines of getting back to the Common Basic Scale - but not there.

"That is the strange thing - we can't even get a minister to say that would be their intention."