Warning over prioritising part-time teachers

Schools or other employers who fail to prioritise part-time teachers to fill vacancies face the prospect of being named and shamed by a teacher union.

Delegates at the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) annual congress in Killarney passed a motion in favour of publishing an annual list of employers that fail to augment the hours of low-hours teachers before advertising vacancies.

The union said around one third of teachers are on part-time contracts, rising to half for those aged under 35.