An Agreed Programme for Government sets out a commitment to implement changes to retention and support policies, which will assist schools in areas of significant disadvantage to recruit and retain teachers.
My Department is committed to providing support for teachers in all primary schools. Indeed, following negotiations with teacher representatives, there have been many improvements in the conditions of service of teachers in recent times. These include the introduction of release time for teaching principals, improvements in conditions for the appointment of administrative principals, the introduction of payments in respect of supervision duties and the provision of increased substitute cover for absences.
While the action being taken to increase the teacher supply generally will also be of assistance to schools in areas of disadvantage my Department will consider other possibilities. In this regard and the context of the commitment referred to in the programme for Government, I have just recently received the report of a subgroup of the statutory committee on disadvantage. This group examined the issue of recruitment and retention of teachers within schools in disadvantaged areas. This report is currently being considered in my Department and following this process my officials will be consulting with the partners in education in this regard.
