asked the Minister for Education if he will state the minimum number of hours, in each week, a registered secondary teacher must work in order to be eligible for the grant of incremental salary; if he is aware that, in some secondary schools, registered lay teachers are compelled to work up to 30 hours a week; if he is prepared to fix a maximum weekly number of hours of work for such teachers, or alternatively, to direct school managers to pay additional basic salary to registered teachers compelled to teach for periods in excess of a prescribed weekly maximum, not more than 25 hours, to be fixed by him; and also if he will grant additional incremental salary to such teachers for attendances in excess of such weekly maximum, such increased basic salary and incremental salary to be at the rate paid for teaching subjects through the medium of Irish.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Secondary Teachers' Working Hours.
A registered teacher is required to give instruction in a subject, or subjects, of the Department's programme for a minimum of 18 hours a week in order to be eligible for the grant of incremental salary. The majority of these teachers do, in fact, teach for considerably more than that minimum. I am aware that a small number of teachers, both lay and religious, give instruction for 30 hours a week.
Secondary schools are privately owned institutions; their staffs are appointed by the managers and the Department does not intervene in regard to the terms of the contract of employment which the teachers may be given, except to require the school to pay the minimum basic salary in the case of those who comprise the minimum staff of registered teachers.
I am not prepared to fix a maximum weekly number of hours of work for secondary teachers or to make any alterations in the present regulations governing the payment of incremental or basic salary to them.