E-scéal 295 - GAM Circular Update
- Published: 05 March 2012
Circular 07/2012 is causing a certain amount of unease, especially where there is difficulty forming full posts through clustering GAM hours. The purpose of this e-scéal is to bring some clarity to the key issues and queries raised by principals with the Support Office.
The DES has decided to leave the task of forming clusters to Principals. A number of issues are ‘cropping up’ where there are difficulties in coming to local agreements. The following points may be worth noting:
1. The deadline for return of GAM/EAL clustering arrangements on Form GAcluster2012 to the DES is the 16th March
2. The deadline for notification of permanent and fixed-term vacancies to the relevant panel operator is the 16th March
3. The deadline for notification of surplus permanent teachers on the Redeployment Panel Application Form to the DES in the 16th March
4. The deadline for appeals to the Staffing Appeals Board is 23rd March. It is hoped to synchronise the Appeals process with the publication of the Panel Lists in mid to late April.
5. Please see page 3 of Circular 07/2012 for additional deadline dates
6. Where two or more schools are trying to cluster hours to form a post, the DES is not offering any direction on how to adjudicate which school forms the cluster base school. They simply state that it must be decided through agreement. The DES will not get involved in arranging clusters.
7. If there are irresolvable problems in attempting to get agreement, options include:
o Seek agreement to make the decision based on a lottery
o Find a partner school somewhere else
o Advertise your GAM/EAL requirements on the SEN Clustering Noticeboard on www.educationposts.ie (in the Advertise a Post menu)
o Hold on to your own application until the resource teaching hours for low incidence SEN are allocated in the hope that those hours may be combined with your GAM hours to form a full post in your school. However, there is a risk that the DES may not sanction the combination of GAM and Resource Teaching Hours. Also, if you wait for this to happen, you may still be dealing with this issue in July or August as there is no guarantee when the SENO will complete the allocation of resources, or when the DES will adjudicate on it. In addition, the DES may impose a decision regarding with whom you are sharing and where the post will be based.
8. A teaching post based on GAM hours (either shared in a cluster, or a full post in one school), is a permanent post with panel rights etc.
9. A teaching post based on Resource Teaching/ Low Incidence Hours is a permanent post if your school is nominated as a base school. If you do not form a cluster with another school, then the post is part-time and will only be granted on a temporary basis.
10.While this circular is long and detailed, it is nevertheless accurate and logical. It will apply for a number of years. We strongly urge you to read it and become thoroughly familiar with its content.
If you have queries relating to the GAM and its impact on your school, please email advice@ippn.ie">advice@ippn.ie.
Is sinne le meas
Seán Cottrell & Gerry Murphy
