Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

The proposal by the Department of Education and Science to transfer responsibility for dealing with under-performance by teachers at primary and secondary level from school inspectors to boards of management is a mistake. Boards of management at primary, vocational educational committee and voluntary secondary school level have different responsibilities.

School inspectors' involvement in schools is greater than ever. The number of inspectors has increased and whole school evaluations are being carried out. The inspectorate also carries out more subject examinations in schools than in the past.

Devolving responsibility for addressing teacher under-performance to boards of management at local level will have serious consequences, especially given that members of boards are essentially volunteers. Placing the onerous responsibility for removing a teacher from a school on members of boards is wrong. It could cause the individuals in question embarrassment and create unnecessary dissension in small communities.

The Department has paid scant regard to supporting teachers who experience difficulties. They are not given sufficient time off to engage in in-service training or retraining or to allow them to reinvigorate their enthusiasm in subject areas. The Minister should drop her proposal and have her Department devise a fair mechanism for dealing with this issue. Will the Leader request the Minister to address this issue as a matter of urgency?