Schools employ 171 retired staff in six weeks

More than 170 retired teachers and up to 928 unqualified people have been given teaching work by schools in the first six weeks of term.

While thousands of recently qualified teachers struggle to find work, 140 retired teachers were hired for substitute work in primary schools and at least 31 covered absences in second-level schools.

They were among more than 4,300 substitutes paid by the Department of Education from the end of August to last Monday in the primary sector, and almost 1,000 second-level substitutes from Sept 4 to Oct 1.

The figures provided by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn in the Dáil show who covered more than 11,200 primary teacher absences, ranging from single days of leave to maternity covers.

But while 3,393 primary substitutes were paid at the qualified teachers’ rate, 928 were not registered with the Teaching Council and so were paid an unqualified substitution rate.

The department has no record of the qualification status of unregistered teachers, which means the minister has no clear idea of the real numbers.

A spokesman for the minister said he has made it clear to schools they should give work such as substitution to newly qualified and unemployed teachers. A May 2011 letter to all schools outlined the very limited circumstances in which an unqualified or retired teacher may be hired.

“It is disappointing that, despite this unequivocal stance, boards of management in some schools continue to hire retired or unqualified teachers instead of giving these opportunities of employment to unemployed or newly qualified teachers,” he said.

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) said the way the department records data needs to be improved as the union is satisfied that most or all of those paid at an unqualified rate are newly qualified teachers (NQTs) who were awaiting registration with the Teaching Council.

It has registered 2,885 newly qualified primary and second-level teachers since July and has only 40 applications on hand from recent graduates. Almost 800 qualified primary teachers were awaiting registration at the end of August.

The INTO said there may be a tiny number of cases of schools having to hire a retired teacher at short notice, which is better than an unqualified person. But general secretary Sheila Nunan said using retired teachers regularly or for extended periods is indefensible and deprives NQTs of work.

“There was a time when schools relied on retired teachers to fill short-term vacancies. Now there are hundreds of fully qualified teachers available for work, some of whom have yet to work this year,” she said.

Although Mr Quinn expects to commence part of the Teaching Council Act soon, that would mean only those registered as qualified teachers could be paid by the State, schools will still be allowed to hire unqualified people in limited circumstances.