Niall Collins
Question:323. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education her plans to address the issue described in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32585/21]
View answerThursday, 17 June 2021
Questions (323)
Written answers
In accordance with Department Circular 0031/2011 teachers must be qualified and registered to teach in the sector to be eligible for the qualified rate of pay.
The teacher referred to is registered under Route 3 with the Teaching Council which allows her to work in a further education setting. If she was teaching in a mainstream post primary school she would receive the unqualified rate of pay and would have her contract terminated on the recruitment of a qualified post primary teacher or the 31st of August which ever happens first as she is not qualified and registered Route 2 post primary for the sector. The Teaching Council under Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2016 Revised define further education as follow:
“further education” means qualified to teach students in recognised schools who are normally 16 years of age and older and who are attending education and training settings outside the post-primary schooling but which are not part of the third-level system;”
Circular 0003/2018 which was published in January 2018 did not change the existing rules in relation to eligibility criteria for posts of responsibility in voluntary post primary schools which were previously set out in Circulars/ppt05_02, Circulars/ppt06_02 and Circulars/ppt07_02.
All circulars are agreed under the auspices of the Teachers’ Conciliation Council, a body established in accordance with the terms of the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for Teachers. The Council is composed of representatives of the teacher representative bodies, school management, the Department of Education and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, chaired by an official of the Workplace Relations Commission.