The true facts about teachers’ salaries

In Monday’s lead story ‘1,500 teachers earn over €115k a year’ (Irish Examiner, Apr 9) you left out quite a few pieces of crucial information.

The figures quoted are before the pension levy, which on average takes 8% from a teacher salary. Teachers always paid towards their pensions (before the levy) and the introduction of this levy was effectively a pay cut as it’s also deducted from temporary staff who have no assurance of ever getting a pension.

Your piece does not point out that the pay scale for teachers is the longest in the public sector, and thus if a teacher is earning over €55,000 he/she must have been teaching for at least 15 years.

You call principals teachers and draw attention to what you imply are large salaries. A principal in the vast majority of schools does no teaching and to get €115k would want to be in charge of a school of several hundred pupils and a staff of at least 50.

Barry Hazel

ASTI CEC

Bray