Implementation of recommendations will lead to greater job security for young teachers
Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan, TD, today welcomed the publication of the report of the Expert Group on fixed-term and part-time employment in teaching.
The Minister pointed out that the implementation of this report is a key plank of the Haddington Road Agreement. She looks forward to putting in place arrangement to implement the report with effect from September 2015, following early engagement with the education partners.
According to Minister O’Sullivan, “Concerns have been expressed about the casualisation of employment in the education sector. In the post-primary sector more than one in three teachers is on fixed-term or part-time contract. The corresponding figure for the primary sector is approximately one in ten. This is not a tenable situation.
“I would like to sincerely thank Mr. Peter Ward SC, and the other members of the Expert Group for their comprehensive report. I intend to proceed with the implementation of these recommendations. This reform will represent a significant improvement in the job security and stability of employment for existing and future young teachers. Ultimately, this will benefit not only individual teachers, but our education system as a whole.”
Ends.
Notes for Editors:
The Haddington Road Agreement provided for the establishment of an Expert Group to consider and report on the level of fixed-term and part-time employment in teaching, having regard to the importance for teachers of employment stability and security and taking account of system and school needs and Teaching Council registration requirements.
The Group was established with an independent chairperson, Peter Ward, SC. The chairperson has consulted extensively with all of the stakeholders and interested parties over the period since early 2014. His report for the Minister for Education and Skills was presented this morning.
The report noted the high level of casualisation of employment, particularly in second-level teaching, where 35% of teachers are fixed-term, part-time, or both. The equivalent figure in primary teaching is 9%. An over-reliance on fixed-term and part-time employment has implications for the security of employment of teachers and has led to concerns about the future attractiveness of teaching as a professional career, with implications for the quality of the education provided to pupils.
The report recommends a suite of measures which will lead to more job security for improve the position of fixed-term and part-time teachers.
The report recommends seven changes should take place from the commencement of the 2015 school year. These changes would allow fixed-term teachers to acquire permanent positions more easily and quickly, and enable part-time teachers to gain additional hours.
The report also provides for extended redeployment arrangements that give school management more flexibility in redeploying teachers in the event of mismatch between teacher qualifications and the curricular needs of schools.
The implementation of five other reforms is recommended over the medium to long term.
It is also noted that the measures in the report do not involve additional costs to the Exchequer.