Eligibility For Employment

Eligibility for Employment

Employment of Qualified Teachers (From Circular 0021/10)

Boards of Management are obliged to recruit and employ fully qualified primary teachers for any vacancy in the school, regardless of the duration of the vacancy. Information regarding recognised qualifications can be obtained from the Primary Administration Section of the Department (Tel: 090 648 3735 / 648 3736).

There are no circumstances under which a Board of Management can engage a person who is not qualified as a primary school teacher and commit to retaining that person for the full duration of a teacher’s absence on maternity leave, parental leave, career break etc.

It should be noted that a post-primary qualified teacher is not fully qualified for the purposes of appointment as a primary teacher.

In the event that no suitable qualified teacher applies for a post the Board must outline to the Department the efforts made to secure a qualified teacher and the circumstances that necessitated the appointment of a person who is not qualified as a primary school teacher pending the appointment of a qualified primary school teacher.

The procedures for the appointment of teachers as outlined in Appendix D of the Constitution of Boards & Rules of Procedures for Boards of Management of National Schools, November, 2011 must be adhered to at all times.

Summary of Recognised Qualifications for Employment

The table below summarizes the eligibility of recognised primary  teachers for appointment to various permanent and temporary posts in primary schools. Further information can be found in Circular 25/00 .

* Irish Language Requirement

Recognised Post-Primary teachers teaching in Primary Schools

Special Schools

The Department of Education and Skills will grant restricted recognition to teachers with a recognised post-primary qualification to enable them to teach in special schools where a proportion of the pupils attending the special school are of post-primary age (i.e. 12 years or older) and where second level programmes are being provided by the school, e.g. Junior Certificate Schools Programme, Leaving Certificate Applied Programme. Post primary teachers are automatically eligible for such recognition and are not required to apply for recognition.

Post primary teachers may apply for posts in the categories of schools outlined above. If such a teacher is offered a post, details of the teacher's qualifications should be submitted to the Special Education Section of the Department for sanction of the appointment. Once satisfied that the applicant's qualifications entitle him/her to restricted recognition in accordance with the above, the appointment will be sanctioned.

Mainstream Schools

Recognised post-primary qualified teachers cannot be appointed to permanent posts in mainstream primary schools. Read DES Circular 0031/2011 on 'Teacher Recruitment, Registration and Qualifications".

Last Updated: January 2012