Schools face job equality review after woman’s case

RULES for interviewing primary school job applicants may be reviewed after a record award to a female teacher for gender discrimination by her school.

St Anthony’s Boys School in Kilcoole, Co Wicklow, was recently ordered to pay €127,000 to Margaret McGinn over a 2001 interview for the principal’s job.

The Equality Tribunal heard that interviewers asked whether a female principal in a boys’ school would pose a problem.

Ms McGinn was awarded €10,000 for discrimination on gender grounds. The rest was for the victimisation the teacher said she suffered after the interview.

The school has lodged an appeal, which is expected to be heard by the Labour Court later this year.

The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO), which represented Ms McGinn, has called for the equality officer’s recommendations to be implemented immediately.

The officer ordered that interviewers for jobs in primary schools should receive comprehensive training, particularly about employment equality laws.

Interview boards normally comprise the school board chairperson and at least two independent assessors, who are usually primary principals.

“The recommendations about the training of interviewers and ensuring independence of interview boards be implemented immediately,” INTO general secretary John Carr said.

The equality officer recommended that the manner in which job selection boards are appointed be reviewed by unions, management groups and officials.

However, Fr Dan O’Connor, general secretary of the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association, said the selection procedures are agreed and regularly reviewed by the association, the INTO, parent representatives and department officials.

He said most assessors are INTO members and trained by their local dioceses, along with the chairpersons of primary school boards, on relevant education and legislation issues.

Education Minister Noel Dempsey has indicated his officials will meet unions or management groups to discuss the matter but declined to comment about the McGinn case.

“The department would, however, expect that interviews would be conducted in a professional manner,” a spokesperson said.