Promotions ban move ‘piecemeal, insufficient’

TEACHERS’ leaders have described efforts by Tánaiste Mary Coughlan to allow schools worst affected by a ban on management promotions as piecemeal and insufficient.

The announcement by the Education Minister at the Teacher’s Union of Ireland (TUI) annual congress that some posts could be reinstated where schools were hit by high numbers of middle management teachers retiring since the promotions ban took effect a year ago. But with little detail of how the scheme will work when it comes into place next September, after hundreds more primary and second level teachers are expected to retire, union leaders described it as simply patching up huge holes in schools’ management structures. The posts which cannot be filled include roles as year heads, co-ordinators of programmes for pupils with special needs or from disadvantaged homes.

The posts attract allowances of €8,520 and €3,769 on top of a teachers’ salary, with second-level assistant principals also given reduced teaching hours.