Primary schools face upheaval over ban on unqualified teachers

A BAN on working with unqualified staff by a teachers’ union could cause great difficulty in rural primary schools next autumn, a management body has warned.

The Irish National Teachers Organisation decided last month that members should not work with unqualified staff who are on contracts of more than 18 weeks from the next school year.

The decision was taken in the context of hundreds of people with no teaching qualifications working in schools, while up to 200 qualified primary teachers are unable to get jobs. The move is a moderation of policy passed four years ago which directed members not to co-operate with any unqualified staff from September of this year.

But despite the moderated directive, the Catholic Primary School Managers’ Association (CPSMA) believes it will still cause problems. “It is our policy that any full-time, temporary or substitute position must be filled by a qualified primary teacher but this is not always possible,” said Fr Dan O’Connor, general secretary of CPSMA, which represents the boards of more than 90% of primary schools. He said the shortage of appropriately qualified teachers was hardest felt in rural and disadvantaged areas, where schools often have to depend on people with no qualification to fill absences among their staff.

“It’s going to be very difficult for schools in those areas next year, unless the Department of Education is prepared to establish a substitute supply panel,” said Fr O’Connor. “We have to accept there will be situations where it will not be possible to have a qualified primary teacher covering substitution but we will have talks with the INTO on that,” he said.

A substitute supply system is already being piloted in a number of areas, where teachers are paid to be available to take classes during teachers’ leave of absence or principals’ administration time. However, INTO and CPSMA have been trying to have the scheme extended nationally.

The INTO central executive is likely to discuss the implementation of the resolution on unqualified teachers at its meeting next week. A number of issues must be clarified, including whether teachers qualified to work at second levels will be included and the form of action to be taken if schools give longer contracts to unqualified personnel.

Some INTO sources suggest it could lead to strikes at individual schools, but this is unlikely.