Written answers

Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Department of Education and Skills

School Staffing

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether the current system of subbing lists in use in primary schools, in particular insofar as the way in which substitute teachers are selected for positions in schools and offered covering work on a day to day or week to week basis, to be unbiased and fair. [56760/12]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). The Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure document 2011 sets out the procedures for appointment of teachers and special needs assistants at primary level.

From 1 December 2011 all advertising of teaching and special needs assistant positions at primary level must be through one of the four listed websites, which include sites run by the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN) and the management bodies. Vacancies for the post of principal may also be advertised on www.publicjobs.ie.

I issued Circular 31/2011 in May of last year which requires that, from September 2011, schools at primary and post-primary level maintain a list of appropriately qualified registered teachers who notify the school that they are available for substitute teaching at short notice.

Job-seeking teachers at primary level may also register with the IPPN's www.educationposts.ie website for both permanent and temporary roles and with SubSearch, a facility which is run by the INTO.

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to retired teachers doing substitution work, in particular the supervision of trainee teachers in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56761/12]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The staffing arrangements for the supervision of students undertaking their School Placement is a matter for the initial teacher education providers. I understand that supervision of students on School Placement is undertaken by a combination of full-time staff in the Colleges concerned along with a number of external supervisors if needed due to the number of students involved. The external supervisors engaged are often retired teachers as the work requires experienced personnel with a thorough knowledge of the Curriculum and experience of a wide variety of classroom situations.

More generally, the recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures published by my Department.

Circular 31/2011, published in May 2011, details a cascade of measures for recruitment of teachers, prioritising unemployed registered teachers over retired registered teachers and registered teachers over unregistered persons.

Schools at primary and post-primary level are required to maintain a list of appropriately qualified registered teachers who have notified the school that they are available for substitute teaching at short notice. Where a substitute teacher is needed at short notice and advertising for the position is not feasible, the school must contact a person on the list established by the school or use a national service such as SubSearch or TextaSub.

Where these procedures are adhered to, an unregistered person should only be engaged for a limited period of time in exceptional circumstances. The school remains under an obligation to source an appropriately qualified and registered teacher at all times.

Each principal must report to his or her board of management on a regular basis on the fact that a list of unemployed registered teachers is being maintained, and the circumstances in which he or she has had to engage a registered teacher in receipt of a pension under a public service pension scheme or an unregistered person.

In response to a request under the Freedom of Information Acts, my Department recently provided information on the number of retired teachers employed in schools on a substitute or temporary basis between 28 August 2012 and 26 October 2012. This information is included in this reply.

Number of retired primary teachers who were employed on a substitute or temporary basis up to five days
175 Teachers. 
Number of retired primary teachers who were employed on a substitute or temporary basis from six days and greater62 Teachers
Number of retired post primary teachers who were employed on a substitute or temporary basis up to five days74 Teachers. Please note that in compiling this report if a retired teacher carried out substitution for a class period in a day the record indicates a full day
Number of retired post primary teachers who were employed on a substitute or temporary basis from six days and greater59 Teachers. Please note that in compiling this report if a retired teacher carried out substitution for a class period in a day the record indicates a full day
Number of retired primary teachers who were employed continuously in the same school on a substitution or temporary basis up to five days.1 day absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 104 retired teachers

2 day absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 56 retired teachers

3 day absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 35 retired teachers

4 day absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 30 retired teachers

5 day absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 15 retired teachers
Number of retired primary teachers who were employed continuously in the same school on a substitution or temporary basis for six days or greater6 – 10 days absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 28  retired teachers

11 – 20 day absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 15 retired teachers

21 – 30 day absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 6 retired teachers

31 days and over absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 2 retired teachers
Number of retired post primary teachers who were employed continuously in the same school on a substitution or temporary basis up to five days1 day absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 16 retired teachers

2 day absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 22 retired teachers

3 day absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 15 retired teachers

4 day absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 13 retired teachers

5 day absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 12 retired teachers
Number of retired post primary teachers who were employed continuously in the same school on a substitution or temporary basis for six days or greater6 – 10 days absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 36 retired teachers

11 – 20 day absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 14 retired teachers

21 – 30 day absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 3 retired teachers

31 days and over absences, either substitute or temporary capacity, covered by 5 retired teachers

* Please note that the same retired teacher may have carried out substitution or temporary service in a different school and therefore is included under one or more categories above.

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