Schools urged to give subbing work to unemployed teachers

SCHOOLS are being urged by Education Minister Mary Coughlan to give substitution work to unemployed teachers, after it emerged one-in-10 primary teachers paid for substitute work in September were already retired.

But the body representing the boards of most of the country’s primary schools says any teaching work should always go to the person most suited to the job, which might not necessarily be a recently-qualified teacher.

A letter arriving in 4,000 primary and second level schools this week from the Department of Education will tell them that Ms Coughlan wants them to prioritise newly or recently qualified teachers when making appointments for substitution work.