IPPN

Published: 22 April 2021

Covid 19 has presented many obstacles to school leaders in keeping schools open. The demand for substitute teachers is now outweighing supply. Traditionally, an issue that was isolated to certain geographies is being mirrored nationally. The staffing crisis is a time sensitive issue and IPPN is currently seeking to address the issue of substitute shortage with stakeholders. Progress updates, when available, will be communicated to members in e-sceal.

Substitute Teacher Options

• SubSeeker (EducationPosts.ie) – A teacher registered with the Teaching Council, regardless of their route of registration, may provide substitution cover at primary level without any implications for the 5-day rule
• SET Teacher – A SET may be used as a mainstream teacher and the hours banked
• Final Year BEd Students – 5-day rule applies (DE Circular 44/2019, Chapter 1, Section 3)
  Class Closure – For H&S reasons, where it is not possible to find a substitute teacher, the BoM may need to consider closing a class for the duration of the teacher’s absence, in line with its Risk Assessment. Boards should seek advice from their patron if they are considering a partial closure due to staffing issues. It is recommended that schools communicate with their parent body the issue of substitute shortage, the efforts being made to secure a sub when required and the implications in terms of H&S where a sub cannot be secured. A Template Letter in preparation for such an eventuality is provided here. All communication will need BoM approval.

Note: DE Circular 44/2019, Chapter 2, Section 4 for further information on sequencing of recruitment

Sub Seeker
The EducationPosts.ie Team have made a number of enhancements to the Sub Seeker service in response to members feedback. If you are unable to source a sub using Sub Seeker, it is critical to log that on the site using the ‘No subs available’ tick box, as this will provide accurate statistics that can be presented to the Teaching Council and the DE as evidence of the scale of the issue in schools.

Have a Question?
IPPN’s Professional Guidance Team is available Monday – Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm to provide collegial support and guidance of a non-directive nature. To contact the team, email advice@ippn.ie Tel: 021 4804070