Secondary teachers, who are threatening to strike, have wrapped up their talks with the Department of Education.

The groups are set to meet again on Monday.

That leaves just 72 hours before schools are due to close for the first of seven strike days tomorrow week.

Teachers are also threatening to withdraw from supervision and substitution duties after the mid-term break.

External supervisors will be paid at least €38 a day for two hours of work, with €19 for every additional hour, as part of contingency plans to keep schools open.

The Association of Secondary Teachers (ASTI) say they want better entry pay levels for new colleagues.

A deal reached with the two other teachers' unions last month will see their new members receive pay increases worth up to €2,000.

The suspension of substitution and supervision payment is also being ended for members of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) and Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI).

Pay restoration does not apply to recent recruits in the ASTI, however, because of their union’s rejection of the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

The ASTI is Ireland's largest second-level teachers' union, with 17,500 members teaching in more than 520 schools nationwide.

Its strike days have been scheduled for October 27th, November 8th, November 16th, November 24th, November 29th, December 6th and December 7th.

ASTI president Ed Byrne told Newstalk Drive no progress was made today.

And he says he expects school closures to go ahead next Thursday.