Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 February 2012
220 Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills his policy on teachers teaching subjects when they do not have a third level qualification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11025/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is the policy of my Department that only a teacher registered with the Teaching Council, and who has qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which he or she is proposed, should be employed in a school. Unregistered personnel should not be appointed except in exceptional circumstances and then only when all avenues for recruiting registered teachers have been exhausted and for quite restricted time periods.
Circular 31/2011 issued last year by my Department sets down rules in this regard and is applicable to all appointments made on or after 1 September 2011. Schools are required to keep a list of appropriately qualified registered teachers who are available for substitute teaching at short notice. Teachers who are available for work may inform schools in their locality and be included on this list. Schools must then use this list or a service like Subsearch or TextaSub when they need a teacher at short notice.
If a school cannot find an unemployed teacher in time, they may then employ a retired appropriately qualified registered teacher. If none is available, it may move on to employ a registered teacher whose qualifications are for a different sector or post giving preference, wherever possible, to an unemployed teacher over a retired one. If a school, despite its best efforts, cannot find a registered teacher it may, for a maximum period of one week, employ an unregistered person, provided that it is satisfied that the person is competent and capable to act in place of a teacher. A school must continue looking for an appropriately qualified registered teacher and, if it finds one in the meantime, the interim person must be let go. Principals are obliged to keep a record and report to the board of management on instances where retired registered teachers and unregistered people are employed. Historical provisions allow for recognised non-graduate teachers of Rural Science, Woodwork, Metalwork, Art, Home Economics, Woodwork and Building Construction and Secretarial studies. The Teaching Council also provides for the registration of teachers of certain non-graduate subjects in the Further Education Sector and the Post Primary Sector for VEC teaching only.
From 2013 all applicants for registration with the Council will be required to hold, at a minimum, a level 8 award (degree level) on the National Framework of Qualifications.
