JobBridge financially unsuitable, says teacher

An unemployed teacher has said the JobBridge scheme might be worth applying for if it did not make him and others ineligible for a better chance of permanent work.

The system has come in for criticism as a way of finding cheap labour.

Ray O’Donovan, an unemployed teacher from West Cork, said it is financially unsuitable when he can get almost €200 for the occasional day of substitution, even after having just 10 days’ work so far this term.

Taking part in the JobBridge scheme would rule him out of access to a supplementary panel from which non-permanent teachers can get preference for vacancies in their area.

“One of the rules for getting on the panel is that you have to have been in a teaching contract since the previous December, and to have earned €29,000 last year,” the 33-year-old from Shannonvale said.

“I would probably take part in JobBridge if I thought the time was counted towards panel rights. If that was tweaked I wouldn’t mind the money aspect so much.”

Fine Gael backbench TD Jim Daly, a former principal, has criticised the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation for a directive banning members from co-operating with the scheme.

“The stance being adopted by the INTO is tantamount to an ‘I’m alright, Jack’ culture to next-generation teachers,” said Mr Daly.

“There are currently hundreds of graduate teachers throughout the country who would jump at the opportunity to gain valuable teaching experience which could be obtained under the JobBridge scheme.”

The union said there is no evidence of the level of interest in JobBridge he suggests, and that most teachers will not qualify for social welfare so the scheme offers them just €50 a week.

“That is cruel and callous given there is little chance of employment at the end of the placement,” an INTO spokesperson said.