Cost of teacher absence £66m last year – report [newsletter.co.uk]
- Published: 26 May 2010
A REPORT by government inspectors says the cost of teacher absence in Northern Ireland has "increased significantly" over the last decade and reached £66 million last year.
The NI Audit Office findings published today include concerns that the increased use of substitute teachers could be having a "negative impact on pupil learning and achievement," and puts the increase cost since 2000-2001 at 41 per cent in real terms.
Since 2001, the average number of days sick leave taken by permanent teaching staff has fallen from ten days to 7.8 days but the figures vary between the different authorities and school sectors.
Controlled schools have an average of 7.1 days while special needs staff have what is described as "a particularly high" rate of absence at 9.7 days. Teachers in the maintained sector have an average of 8.5 days off sick each year.
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