Call for fair pay and substitute teachers

Children will be the big losers if equal pay for recent entrants and shortages of substitute teachers are not urgently addressed, the president of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) said.

With the campaign set to move up a gear in the coming months to get those who began teaching since 2011 on the same pay scales as longer-serving colleagues, John Boyle told the union’s 150th annual congress it was his first priority.

Ahead of debate today on the topic by the 800 delegates, he asked if it is any wonder so many recently-qualified teachers have moved abroad where their expertise is coveted and valued.