Seniority
Below is the text of Circular 02/04: Seniority
of Primary Teachers which is also available
for download by clicking here
Introduction
The Minister for Education and Science has revised
the criteria for seniority of permanent teachers in
Primary Schools.
The terms of Rules 96 and 98 (1) of the Rules for National Schools are hereby revised.
Importance of Seniority
The sequence in which mainstream class teachers are
appointed to a school determines the seniority of teachers.
Seniority is important in determining teachers'
eligibility for an acting post of responsibility and
in deciding the order in which teachers are eligible
to be placed on the panel when the enrolment figures
drop sufficiently to warrant the suppression of a post.
Responsibility of Board of Management
The board of management, based on the teachers'
date of commencement of duty in a school in a permanent
capacity, determines the seniority of teachers. An exception
to this is where a teacher is on a statutory absence
when appointed to the post eg. maternity leave, adoptive
leave etc., in such instances the teacher's seniority
commences from the date of appointment to the post.
Once a teacher's order of seniority has been established
by the board it cannot be changed without the prior
sanction of the patron.
Each board of management should ensure that the seniority listing of teachers is posted on the staff notice board each September. If teachers have not had their seniority established prior to appointment they should request a statement of order of seniority from the board on commencement of duty in the school.
Rules for Determining Seniority
A principal teacher is always the most senior teacher
in a school, irrespective of length of service given
in a school.
Please see below in relation to the seniority
of a principal teacher who relinquishes his/her post
of principal.
Service given previously in the same school as a substitute
or temporary (qualified or unqualified) teacher does
not count towards seniority.
A permanent teacher's ranking for seniority purposes
will only commence from the date that a teacher is fully
qualified.
If two or more permanent teachers commence duty on
the same day, the board of management should establish
the order of seniority based on the order the teachers
were listed as a result of an interview process, i.e.
the teacher who was ranked highest following the interview
process should be given the higher seniority rating.
If a permanent teacher leaves a school either voluntarily
or is redeployed and is reappointed to the school in
a permanent capacity at a later date then the teacher's
seniority will only commence from the date of reappointment.
Job sharing service is reckoned as full service for the purpose of seniority. Authorised absences eg. career break, maternity leave, adoptive leave, parental leave, paternity leave, sick leave do not affect a teacher’s seniority.
Seniority in an Amalgamated School
In the case of an amalgamated school, where a teacher
has given unbroken permanent service continuously in
one or more of the schools being amalgamated, the aggregate
of that service will be reckoned in determining seniority.
A principal(s) who becomes a privileged assistant(s) in the amalgamated school will retain a seniority ranking next to the principal, irrespective of the length of actual service in their former school(s). Where there is more than one privileged assistant it is the length of service as principal of the former school which determines the order of seniority. (The seniority of a privileged assistant who is redeployed via the panel or who voluntarily moves into a school will commence from the date of taking up duty in the new school).
Seniority of Principal Teacher who relinquishes
post of Principal
A principal teacher can only relinquish a post of principal teacher provided there is a permanent vacancy in the school. Where a principal teacher relinquishes the post of principal s/he becomes the most junior teacher in the school. Previous service given as a principal in the school does not count for seniority purposes.
Supply Panel
As outlined in Circular 50/97 a supply teacher shall
not be compulsorily redeployed to the redeployment panel
(even if they are the most junior teacher in the school)
other than in the context of the withdrawal of the supply
service from the host school or applying, following
the completion of two years supply work for inclusion
on the redeployment panel appropriate to the host school.
As outlined in Primary Circular 12/02 all supply teachers
appointed on or after 1 April 2002 should be assigned
a seniority ranking at the time of their appointment
to the base school in the normal manner. Supply teachers
appointed before 1 April 2002 should be assigned a seniority
ranking as if they were appointed to the school as of
1 April 2002. This is necessary to ensure that no member
of the current mainstream staff have their seniority
ranking disimproved at the time of integration of the
supply teacher to school staff for seniority purposes.
Such a ranking will have little practical effect as
long as the teacher remains on supply duties, however,
in the event that a supply teacher transfers, with the
consent of the board, to mainstream duties in the base
school his/her seniority ranking will have full effect
and will reflect his/her total service in the school.
When making appointments to the mainstream staff of the school, the board should appraise appointees that there is a supply panel scheme attached to the school and that the supply teachers have a seniority ranking which may be activated in the event that a supply teacher transfers from supply duties to mainstream duties.