Pay Inequality and an Unwillingness to Restore Promoted Posts Undermine Action Plan

Joe Killeen, INTO President and Noel Ward, Deputy General Secretary/General Treasurer represented INTO today at the Teacher Supply Forum Consultation organised by the Teaching Council and the Department of Education and Skills.

The Department of Education published today its action plan on Teacher Supply. INTO representatives strongly criticised key omissions, in particular the need for pay equality and to develop the teaching career through restoration of promoted posts.

While welcoming the lifting of restrictions on substitute work on the part of teachers on career break, and a commitment to remove restrictions on job-sharers, INTO representatives stressed that more was required.

Additional points highlighted by the INTO stressed the need for supply panels to be established and the need to use the forecast reduction in primary school enrolments to reduce class sizes to typical EU levels.

INTO President Joe Killeen said, ‘Supply planning is about meeting pupil and school needs and ensuring that student teachers are not being trained for emigration but to contribute their expertise to Irish primary education.”