Ireland's Online Resource for Parents & Teachers
Unemployed Irish teachers to maintain skills next school year
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/11/2010.
Tags: Teachers NewsTeachers in Ireland who find themselves without a job will be able to improve their skills by practising in secondary schools next year.
Mary Coughlan, the minister for education, has spoken about the concerns that a number of teachers will qualify at the end of the year and not be able to find employment.
She told the Dail that the government is launching a programme to enable these teachers to practise their skills by continuing to teach children in primary and secondary schools.
"This could at least give some people the opportunity to become probationary teachers," Ms Coughlan stated.
The programme, which is already available to primary school teachers qualified from this year, will be rolled out to secondary school teachers next year.
Ireland's teachers are likely to breathe a sigh of relief at the news, after the Irish Independent reported earlier this week that up to five per cent of the country's special needs assistants are likely to lose their jobs as a result of budget cuts.
Written by Donal Walsh
ddeane
(13/11/2010 18:41)
I'm currently doing the h-dip,isn't it great to know that the minister is thinking of me! lay off teachers and get newly qualified unemployed teachers to fill the gaps by not paying them, but hey they're getting to 'maintain their skills', what a sick joke!
t moran
(02/12/2010 00:25)
this scheme is a disgrace and an insult trained teachers dont need to "practice" their skills and on who's authority are our children being handed over to unpaid personnel to practice on. No thought has been put into this these teachers will not be paid ,will be on a Fas placement and current staff are expectedto act as their supervisors assigning duties reporting to Fas and policing attendance and hours worked I am a teacher I work for the DEpt of EDUCATION not Fas and not dept of Social welfare IRELANDS TEACHERS WILL NOT WELOME THIS
Cathy
(14/12/2011 20:13)
I would like to know the number of unemployed primary and second level teachers on a monthly basis for statistical purposes. We could form our own Union as the TUI anmd ASTI have no interest in defending unemployed teachers. Perhaps some one with web experience could set up a website to log the statistics. The Croke Park Agreement is the 'Elephant in The Room' and teachers who are employed full-time and permanent do their unemployed colleagues no favour as they hold down posts which offer them salaries of up to 8O,000 with posts of responsibility giving them up to 10,000 extra. I would like to 'share the pie'.
Fas and CES groups are using Tutors...many with only JEB or Train the Trainer certificates to enable people with No Degrees to teach. Special Need Assistants earn up to 28,000 p.a. with only a 6 week course completed. Why does the Dept of Education not employ qualified Teaching Council Registered teachers to share classrooms with regular teachers rather than SNA's..particularly in DEISS schools and actually reduce the pupil/teacher ratio and give the pupils a better educational experience. Why are we accepting a dilution of teaching skills in education.
Nursing Aides cannot perform surgical operations so why are qualified teachers allowing unqualified persons enter the field of education. The Dept of Educ pay for a substitute teacher to replace a permanent teacher to complete a Post Grad course while still drawing down their full salary. These courses would cost an unemployed teacher up to 8,000 in UCD. It's a case of 'Much Wants More'. They do not have to refund the cost of their courses if they take 'early retirement' or take 'leave of absence for up to two years, and many retired teachers on pensions are called by school managers for substitution work. The Dept do not monitor the situation or penalise schools who through nepotism and cronyism continue to re-employed retired teachers. Rather they send out circulars denouncing the practise, but like the Bank Regulator do nothing to enforce it. Complaints are to be directed to The Board of Mgn rather than the Dept of Education. Fas staff were not let go but rather upskilled (paid for by Fas)with certificates in NUI Maynooth to enable them to continue training rather than take in qualified teachers. Email : tcathy79@yahoo.co.uk