School vacancies crisis adds to chaos

DELAYS in the long-promised filling of management vacancies in dozens of primary schools are adding to chaos, teachers have claimed.

More than 120 primary schools applied, to mid-September, for exemption from a ban on filling middle management positions below principal and deputy principal level.

They were responding to an initiative by Education Minister Mary Coughlan to alleviate the difficulties the public service promotion moratorium has created for schools with high numbers of vacancies through retirement or holders of the jobs being appointed principal.