Council to cut primary teachers’ probation

PRIMARY teachers struggling to complete their professional qualifications because of trouble finding work should soon see a reduction in the amount of time they must spend in the classroom.

In order to be fully registered with the Teaching Council, a requirement for long-term employment in schools, a primary teacher has to complete 170 days of probationary service within three years of qualifying.

It must include two blocks of 50 consecutive days and unprobated teachers are subject to two unannounced visits during this period by a Department of Education inspector to ensure they meet professional standards.

But because thousands of graduates are competing for limited non-permanent posts, the Teaching Council is cutting the length of teaching time to 100 days. This is to apply for this school year only but is also open to unprobated teachers who have already started their careers.

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation welcomed the amendment.

Teaching Council chief executive Áine Lawlor said it was a reasonable response to the economic climate, while still allowing the council to ensure high standards are maintained.

A primary teacher can complete his or her probation in temporary or substitute positions in mainstream or special schools, or even in permanent jobs with the condition of being probated within three years. But graduates in recent years have complained that, because of the large numbers of fully registered teachers seeking work, many schools restrict short-term vacancies to probated teachers only.

More than 2,000 primary teachers qualified this year, joining thousands who have graduated in recent years but are still seeking work.

The growing number of pupils means almost 900 more teachers are required in primary and second-level schools this autumn. But priority for permanent positions has been given to 1,500 teachers whose jobs were lost due to education cutbacks announced in the 2011 budget.