asked the Minister for Education if he will state in connection with his circular of May last to secondary schools (1) the total number of schools which stated they had appointed teachers prior to the date of the circular but where his Department has required cancellation of these appointments and (2) the total number of appointments cancelled.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Secondary School Teachers.
64.
The amount of work involved and the nature of the communications received from many school managers preclude me from giving the information sought by the Deputy.
Managers of secondary schools wishing to make additional appointments were informed of the number of posts, in their schools, which the Department would be prepared to allow for the purpose of the payment of incremental salary.
Secondary schools are private institutions, the managers of which are the employers of the teachers. It was, therefore, a matter for school managers to decide as to which teachers would be assigned to the incremental posts allocated to them.
The question of my Department requiring a school to cancel an appointment does not arise.
Will the Minister not accept that where the school appointed a teacher or teachers in January on the basis of a regulation issued by his Department and were told in May that they could not have such a teacher or teachers, this should not involve the cancellation of an appointment or appointments?
We had a long discussion on this subject.
I think we need to discuss it again.
I do not think so.
The school thinks so.
I might point out that this year we have made available 650 additional posts over all to cater for 5,500 additional pupils.
But could not the small number of cases where teachers have been appointed be allowed to stand?
That is a different matter. The Deputy has discussed it with me here publicly and elsewhere privately.
And I find it totally unacceptable that schools should be forced to break contracts.