Productivity demands put forward for teachers

THE Department of Education wants the practice of awarding senior positions in schools to the longest-serving teachers to be scrapped as part of the social partnership pay talks.

The department has put forward four major productivity demands to be met in return for salary increases under a successor to the Sustaining Progress deal, currently being debated by the social partners.

Among these is a review of promotion procedures for posts of responsibility up to principal level which, more often than not, have gone to long-serving members of staff.