Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 February 2013
164. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will investigate the requirement of the State Examinations Commission that superintendents of examinations must be registered with the Teaching Council; and his views on the necessity of a retired teacher (details supplied) in County Longford who wishes to superintend at exams, to register with the Teaching Council. [7779/13]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
Retired teachers may apply for the position of superintendent and be appointed in accordance with the terms of the Employment Equality Act, 1998, which prohibits discrimination in employment on a number of grounds, including age. For the 2012 examinations the SEC appointed a total of 4786 superintendents of whom 1311 were retired teachers. To be eligible for appointment applicants must satisfy all of the terms and conditions for appointment set out by the SEC. For the 2013 examinations, this also includes a requirement to be registered on the Register of Teachers maintained by the Teaching Council of Ireland.
The requirement to be a registered teacher with the Teaching Council arises from the recent passing of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 which was signed into law on the 26th December 2012. The Act obliges employers to only employ people who have been vetted by the National Vetting Bureau of An Garda Síochaná to work with children and young people. Under the terms of Part 3, Section 12.4 of the Act, this obligation is regarded as being satisfied in the case of the State certificate examinations if the person so employed is a registered teacher. In order for SEC to be in a position to complete the appointment and assignment of superintendents nationwide in advance of the commencement of the written examinations in June the SEC requires that it receive confirmation of registration with the Teaching Council by the end of March 2013.
Applicants for superintending at the 2013 examinations could apply without being registered and have until the 31st March 2013 to complete the registration process. Applicants not on the Register of Teachers as at 31st March 2013 will not be deemed suitable for appointment as superintendent at the 2013 examinations.
The requirement to register has been introduced so that the SEC, as an employer of persons working with children and young people at the certificate examinations, can comply with its legislative obligations.
