Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 October 2013
90. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of retired or non-serving teachers or school principals or deputy principals who have been appointed to work with his Department to roll out the new junior cycle reforms; the years in which the retirees took up retirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42188/13]
View answerMy Department does not directly employ retired or non-serving teachers, principals or deputy principals for the purposes of the provision of in service training for teachers. However, a number of qualified teachers, including retirees, are employed on a part time basis through Blackrock Education Centre to assist national support services to deliver CPD for schools in identified priority areas. Generally, such personnel are engaged on a short-term basis to provide focussed support in specialist areas where there is no capacity within full-time teams or where full-time provision is not required. For example, in the school year 2011-2012 retired personnel worked in this capacity for an average of just over 5 days each.
Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT), the professional development service for junior cycle reform is currently working with 33 part-time personnel, the majority of whom will be engaged in developing and facilitating CPD for school leaders. Of these, 5 have retired within the last 3 years.
