Job Share Teachers

General Job Sharing Information

Eligibility

All permanent teachers within a school with two years' service in a permanent capacity, are eligible to apply for job sharing with the exclusion of principals (the importance of the leadership function of a principal precludes this role from being shared), home school liaison teachers, supply teachers and teachers on probation. However, a supply teacher may move temporarily form the Supply Scheme to job share with another teacher. See DES Circular 11/03

There is also a provision of a job-sharing arrangement of permanent teachers and temporary teachers in cases where no permanent teacher was available to job-share in the teacher's own school (or on an inter-school job-sharing basis). In addition to the conditions which apply in the case of the general job-sharing scheme, the arrangement is subject to the following conditions:

• the arrangement would apply for one school year;
• the temporary teacher would be a fully qualified, probated primary teacher with at least two years permanent service in the past;
• the temporary teacher would commit not to take up or seek another post for the duration of the job-sharing arrangement;
• if, for any reason, the temporary teacher left the job-sharing post, the permanent teacher would return on a fulltime basis immediately.

In addition, teachers who are currently on secondment or are going on secondment cannot job share for the duration of the secondment.

A teacher on a career break or other approved leave of absence may apply to resume teaching duties on a job sharing basis.

Application Procedures

It is a matter for teachers to find colleagues with whom they may wish to enter into a job sharing arrangement. Applications must be made in writing to the board of management of the school (or schools in the case of inter- school job sharing). Such applications must be made to the board(s) before the 1st March of the year in which they propose to job share and should be accompanied by the Plean Oibre. Circular 30/03 Notice with regard to the Closing Dates for Applications for Various Schemes

The Plean Oibre must address the need for continuity, the need for planning for an agreed methodology and an agreed approach to disciplinary matters. It should also provide for the use of the combined talents of both teachers as well as assigning responsibility. The Plean Oibre should comply with school policy outlined in the Plean Scoile. Boards should be satisfied that the Plean Oibre adequately addresses all of the key issues outlined above.

Additionally, boards should ensure that there is an agreement as to the frequency of out-of-school meetings between the applicants to plan and discuss their work, and the availability of the teachers for relevant staff meetings and for relevant meetings with parents.

Job Sharing Arrangements – Approval

The principal will be required to appraise the board of management in detail regarding a proposal to job share. Specifically, the principal will be asked to outline for the board the extent to which the two proposed job sharers are compatible, co-operative, flexible and complement each others' skills and professionalism. The principal will also be asked to indicate the levels of organisational and communication skills displayed by the proposed partners, as well as their attendance records.

Where the application refers to inter-school job sharing, the principal of both schools should liaise.

The board(s) of management must process job sharing applications during the month of March. Where an inter-school arrangement is being entered into, the board(s) must indicate the school in which the job sharing teachers will be based - the application form contains a section in relation to this matter. The board(s) must convey a decision in writing to the teachers before 1 April. The board(s) must submit all approved applications to the Department of Education and Skills before 10 April.

Boards of management will only be notified in writing by the Department if difficulties arise in relation to eligibility of applicants or in relation to the replacement teacher.

Public Holiday Entitlement

Primary Circular 0123/2006 Clarification sets out the public holiday entitlements of job-sharing primary teachers under the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997.

Updated July 2011