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.