Moves to lift ban on unqualified teachers shelved

PLANNED legislation that would have allowed unqualified people to teach primary and second-level students is being shelved by Education Minister Ruairí Quinn.

Following pressure from unions and the Teaching Council, he has decided not to proceed with legislation to amend part of the Teaching Council Act that would otherwise have meant nobody but registered qualified teachers could be paid for taking classes in primary and second-level schools.

While he had considered advice from his officials that schools needed to be allowed hire unqualified personnel in exceptional circumstances, such as teacher absences at short notice, he will instead move to implement section 30 of the act in the wording that was passed a decade ago.